/ 


/ 


/ 


'A 

DIALOGUE 

CONCERN  ING  THE 

SLAVERY 


OF  T  H  E 

AFRICANS; 

Shewing  it  to  be  the  Duty  and  Interejl  of  the  American 
States  to  emancipate  ail  their  African  Slaves. 

WITH  AN 

ADDRESS  to  the  owners  of  fuch  Slave*. 
DEDICATED  TO  THE  HONOURABLE  THE 

CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS . 

To  wivch  is  prefixed,  the  Inftitution  of  the  Society,  in 
New- York,  for  promoting  the  ManumiJJion  of  Slaves, 
and  protecting  fuch  of  them  as  have  been ,  or  may  be , 
liberated. 


Open  thy  mouth,  judge  righteoufly,  and  plead  the  caule 
of  the  poor  and  needy.  Prov.  xxxL  9. 

And  as  ye  would  that  men  lhould  do  to  you,  do  ye  a  If, b  t« 
them  likewife.  Luke  vi.  31. 


NORWICH  :  Printed  by  Judah  P.  Spooner,  1776 

N  E  W  -  Y  O  R  K: 

Re-printed  for  Robert  Hodc'i, 


m,dcc,lxxxv. 


- 


A  refpeClable  number  of  Citizens  bowing  form¬ 
ed  tbemf elves-  into  a  Society  for  promoting 
the  Manumiffion  of  Slaves,  and  protecting 
fuch  of  them  as  have  been ,  or  may  be ,  liberat¬ 
ed  >  the  following  Extracts  from  their  Pro - 
ceedings ,  are  publifhed  for  the  information 
of  the  Public,, 

w  nr  HE  benevolent  Creator  and  Father  of  men,  hav- 
*-  ing  given  to  them  all  an  equal  right  to  life,  li¬ 
berty,  and  property,  no  Sovereign  power  on  earth  can* 
juilly  deprive  them  of  either  ;  but  in  conformity  to  im¬ 
partial  government  and  laws  to  which,  they  have  ex- 
prefsly  or  tacitly  confented. 

“  It  is  our  duty,  therefore,  both  as  free  Citizens  and: 
Chriftians,  not  only  to  regard  with  companion,  the  hr- 
juftice  done  to  thofe  among  us  who  are  held  as  Haves  y 
but  to  endeavour,  by  lawful  ways  and  means,  to  enable, 
them  to  (hare  eq.ually  with  us,  in  that  civil  and  religi¬ 
ous  Liberty,  with  which  an  indulgent  providence  has 
blefted  thefe  States,  and  to  which  thel'e  our  brethren 
are,  by  nature,  as  much-  entrcled-to  as.  ourfelves. 

“  The  violent  attempts  lately  made  to  feize  and’ ex'- 
port  for  fale,  fevcral  free  Negroes,  who  were  peaceably 
following  their  refpeftive  occupations,  in  this  city, 
mud  excite  the  indignation  of  every  friend  to  humani¬ 
ty,  and  ought  to  receive  exemplary  punifhmcnt. 

“  The  hope  of  impunity  is  too  often,  an  invincible 
temptation  to  tranfgrelTion  ;  and  as  the  hclplefs 
dition  of  the  perfons  alluded  to,  doubtlefs  expofed  them 
to  the  outrage  they  experienced,  fo  it  is  probable  that 
the  likecircumltances  may  again  expofe  them  and  others 
to  fimilar  violences.  Dcftitute  of  friends  and  of  know¬ 
ledge,  (Irnggling  with  poverty,  and  accuftomed  to  fub- 
miffion,  they  are  under  great  difadvantages  in  afieiting; 
their  right*,  , 


r 


L'  4-  ]' 

Thefe  confiderations  induce  us  to  form  ourfelv^s* 
into  a  Society,  to  be  ililed  a  Society  for  promoting  thc- 
Manumiffion  of  Slaves,  and  protecting  fuch  of  them,  as 
nave  been,  or  may  be,  liberated. 

“  And  that  the  objects  of  the  Society  may  be  pur- 
fued  with  uniformity  and  propriety,  we  have  agreed 
that  it  fhall  be  regulated  by  the  following  rules  : 

I.  The  Society,  at  their  next  Meeting,  fhali  elect, 
by  a  majority  of  votes,  to  be  taken,  by  ballot,  a  Prefi- 
den,  Vice-Prefident,  Secretary,  and  Treafurer,  who  fhall 
reflectively  continue  in  office  for  one  year  from  th$ 
time  of  their  election,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time, 
and  of  every  fucceeding  year,  there  fhall  be  a  new  elec¬ 
tion  of  officers  in  the  fame,  manner. 

II.  The  Prefident  fhall  have  authority  to  maintain 
order  and  decorum  at  the  Meeting  of  the  Society,  and 
to  call  a  fpecial  Meeting  at  any  time  upon  the  requeit 
©f  the  Standing  Committee  herein  after-mentioned. 

III.  The  Vice-Prefident,  in  the  abfence  of  the  Pre- 
iident,  fhall  have  the  fame  authority  given  to  the  Prefi¬ 
dent  ;  and  in  cafe  the  Prefident  fhould  die  or  he  dif- 
placed,  the  Vice-Prefident fhall  officiate  till  a  new  Pre¬ 
fident  be. elected. 

IV.  TheuSecretary  fhalHteep  a  record  of  the  pro¬ 
ceedings  of  the  Society,  in  a  book  to  be  provided  for 
the  purpofe,  and  fhall  caufe  to  be  publifhed,  from  time  , 
to  time,  fuch  part  of  the  proceedings  or  refolutions  ss 
the  Society  may  order,  or  the  Prefid.sat,  with  the  con- 
fent  of  the  Standing  Committee,  between  the  Meetings 
©f  the  Society,  may  think  proper  to  direct. 

V.  The  Treafurer.,  if  required  Jby  the  Society,  fhall 
give  lecurity  for  the  faithful  difeharge  of  the  trull  re- 
pofed  in  him,  and  fhall  keep  regular  accounts  of  the 
monies  he  has  received  and  paid,  obferving  always  to 
pay  no  monies  without  an  order  figned  by  the  Prefi¬ 
dent,  and  a  majority  of  the  Standing  Committee,  who 
are  prohibited  from  drawing,  between  the  hated  Meet¬ 
ings  of  the  Society,  for  a  larger  fum  than  Ten  Pound 


[•  s-  ]’ 

»nlefs  impovvered  by  a  fpecial  order  of  the  Society  at- 
a  previous  Meeting, 

,VI.  It' any  of  the  officers  a|?ove  named,  fhould  die, 
refign,  or  bedifplaccd,  the  Society  fhall  fill  the  vacancy 
in  the  mode  prefcribed  by  the  firit  rule,  and  if  the  Pre- 
fident  and  Vice- Prefident,  or  the  Secretary,  or  Treafurer 
be  abfent  at  any  of  the  Meetings,  the  Society  may  ele& 
one  to  officiate  in  his  room,  pro  tempore. 

VII.  The  Society  fhall  . meet  once  in  every  quarter, 
that  is  to  fay,  on  the  fecond  Thurfday  in  February  j 
on  the  fccond  Tfiurfday  in-May  ;  on  the  fecond  Thurf¬ 
day  in  Auguil,  and  on  the  fecond  Thurfday  in  Novem^. 
ber  in  every  year,  at  fuch  place  as  fhall  from  time  to 
time  be  agreed  upon,  in  .order  to  receive  the  reports  of 
the  Standing  Committee,  and  devife  the  ways  and  means 
of  accompjifh.ing  the  objedls  of  this  Inflitutiom 

VIII.  That  eight  Members,  with  the  Prefident  or 
Vice-Prefident,  be  a  quorum  of  the  Society  for  tranf- 
adling  bufinefs. 

IX  Every  Member,  on-  fubferibing  thele  rules,  fhall 
pay  into  the, hands  of  the  Treafurer,  the  fum  cf  Eight 
Skillings ,  and  the  fum  of  Four  Shillings  at  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  each  quarter,  and  all  donations  to  the  Society 
fball  be  ma  e  through  the  Prefident,  who  fhall  pay  them 
to  the  Treafurer,  and  report  the  fame  to  the  Society  at 
the  next  quarterly. Meeting. 

X.  Any  perfon  defiring  to  be  admitted  a  Member  .of 
this  Society,  fhall  be  propofed  to  the  Society  ataQuar-_ 
terly  Meeting,  and  be  ballotted  for  at  the  next  Quarter¬ 
ly  Meeting,  and  if,  upon  counting  the  ballots,  two- 
thirds  of  the  Members  prefent  fhall  be  found  .  to  be  in. 
his  favour,  he.  fhall  be  declared  a  Member. 

XI.  The  Society  fhall  have  the  power  of  expelling 
any  perfon  whom  they  may  deem  unworthy  of  conti¬ 
nuing  a  Member  of  it. 

XII.  A  Standing  Committee  of  fix  Members,  fhall 
be  ele&ed  by  ballot,  at  the  firfl  Quarterly  Meeting,  four 
of  the  Committee  fhall  be  a  quorum,  and  it  fhall  be  - 
sheir  duty,  to  carry  into  execution  in  the  re^efs,  and. 


r  e  ] 

at  tHe  expencc  of  the  Society,  the  orders  given  to  thcnr 
by  the  Society,  and  generally  to  purfue  fuch  mea- 
fures  as  appear  to  them  belt  calculated  to  attain  the 
ends  of  the  Society.  It  fhall  likewife  be  their  duty 
to  report  their  proceedings  in  writing  at  the 'next  Quar¬ 
terly  Meeting  of  the  Society,  at  which  time,  the  two 
firft  Members  of  the  Committee  named  on  the  Minutes,., 
(half  be  releafed  from  fervice,  and  two  other  perfons 
elected  by  ballot,  to  ferve  in  their  room-.  And  at  eve¬ 
ry  fucceeding  Quarterly  Meeting,  the  fame  ceremony 
fiiall  be  obferved  with  refpedl  to  two  otherMembers  of 
the  Committee  in  the  order  which  their  names  hand  on 
tiie  Minutes. 

XIII.  The  foregoing  rules -(hall  be  in  force  without 
alteration,  for  the  fpace  of  fix  months,  from  the  firft' 
Quarterly  Meeting,  after  which  period  they  fiiall  be 
fnbjeft  to  fuch  alterations  as  lhall  be  agreed  upon  by 
a  majority  of  the  Members  of  the  Society  at  a  Quarter¬ 
ly  Meeting/’ 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Society  on  the  10th  inftarrt,. 
tliey  proceeded  to  eled  by  ballot,  their  officers  and 
Standing  Committee,  and  on  counting  the  ballots,,  the 
following  perfons  appeared  to  be  elated.  to  wit. 

The  Hon.  JOHN  JAY,  Efq;  P  ref  Jen  t. 
Samuel  Franklin ,  Vice-Prelident, 

"John  Murray,  Jan.  Treasurer.. 

John  Keefe ,  Efq;  Secretary. 

Mel  an  Jon  Smith , 

Lawrence  Entires , 

.Dr.  James  Cog [well,  \  Standing 
Ez.ek.iel  Robins,  ,  Committee. 

William  Goforth ,  | 

Elijah  Cock ,  J 

After  the  Election  was  clofed,  the  Society  ordered, 
that  the  Standing  Committee,  at  their  diferetiort,  re¬ 
ceive  the  fubferiptions  of  fuch  perlons  defiring  to  be¬ 
come  Members  of  the  Society  as  were  prevented  from 
attending  this  Evening  v  and  that  the  Committee  pub- 


T  ?  .1 

proceedings  of  the  Society  in  fuch  manner  as 
they  may  judgermoft  proper  for  the  information  of  the 
Public.  Publifhed  by  Order  of  the  Prefident, 

And  Standing  Committee, 
JOHN  KEESE,  Sec’y. 
•City  of  New -Tor  k,  Feb.  4,  1785. 

At  a  Quarterly  Meeting,  of  the  Society  for  promot¬ 
ing  the  Manumiffion  of  Slaves,  and  prote&ing  fuch  of 
them  as  have  been,  or  may  be,  liberated,  held  at  the 
Coffee-Houfe,  in  the  City  of  New-York,  on  the  10th 
Day  of  November,  1785  ;  Ordered,  That  the  following 
rule,  for  the  government  of  the  Society,  be  fubflituted 
inftead  of  the  10th  rale,  viz. 

<£  Any  perfon,  defiring  to  be  admitted  a  Member  of 
this  Society,  fhall  apply  to  the  handing  Committee ; 
who  fhall  propofe  him  to  the  Society  at  the  fubfequent 
Quarterly  Meeting,  when  he  fhall  be  ballotted  for  ; 
and  if  upon  counting  the  ballots,  two-thirds  of  the 
Members  prefent,  fhall  be  found  to  be  in  his  favour, 
he  fhall  be  deemed  a  Member.” 

Ordered,  That  the  handing  Committee  take  order  for 
printing  two  thoufand  copies  of  a  Pamphlet,  entitled, 
“  A  Dialogue  concerning  the  flavery  of  the  Africans  ; 
fhewing  it  to  be  the  duty  and  intereh  of  the  American 
Colonies  to  emancipate  all  the  African  Slaves,  dedi¬ 
cated  to  the  Honorable  the  Continental  Congrefs,  pub- 
lifhed  at  Norwich,  in  the  year  1776,  with  an  Appendix 
and  Notes  thereto.”  Extract  from  the  Minutes, 

By  Order  of  the  Society, 
JOHN  KEESE,  Scc’y. 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Standing  Committee,  of  the 
Society  for  promoting  the  Manumiffion  of  Slaves,  See. 
held  the  12th  Day  of  November,  1785. 

Refolded,  That  a  Pamphlet,  entitled,  “  A  Dialogue 
on  the  flavery  of  the  Africans,  &c.”  be  immediately 
publifhed,  agreeable  to  the  Order  of  the  Society. 

By  Order  of  the  Committee, 

WILLIAM  SHOTWELL,  Sec’y. 


T  *  ’I 


To  the  Honourable  Members  of  the  CONTINENTAL 
CONGRESS,  Reprefentatives  of  the  Thirteen 
United  American  Colonies*. 

Much  honoured  Gentlemen, 

AS  God  the  Great  Father  of  the  Univerf^  has  madfe 
you  the  fathers  of  thefe  Colonies  ;  and  in  anfwer 
to  the  prayers  of  his  people,  given  you  counfel,  and  that 
wifdom-and  integrity,  in  the  exertion  of  which,  you 
have  been  fuch  great  and  extenfive  bleflings,  and  ob- 
tained  the  approbation  and  applaufe  ofyour  conftituents, 
and  the  refpedl  and  veneration  of  the  nations  in  whofe 
fight  you  have  adled,  in  the  important,  noble  ftruggle 
for  Liberty  :  We  naturally  look  to  you  in  behalf  of 
more  than  half  a  million  of  perfons  in  thefe  Colonies, 
who  are  Under  fuch  a  degree  of  opprefiion  and  tyran¬ 
ny,  as  to  be  wholly  deprived  of  all  civil  and  perfonal 
liberty,  to  which  they  have  as  good  a  right  as  any  of 
-their  fellow  men,  and  are  reduced  to  the  moll  abjedh 
date  of  bondage  and  flavery,  without  any  jull  caufe. 

We  have  particular  encouragement  thus  to  apply  to 
you,  flnce  you  have  had  the  honour  and  happinefs  of 
leading  thefe  Colonies  to  refolve  to  flop  the  flave- 
trade  $  and  to  buy  no  more  ilaves  imported  from  Afri¬ 
ca.  We  have  the  fatisfadlion  of  the  bell:  affurances 
that  you  have  done  this  not  meerly  from  political  rea- 
fons;  but  from  a  conviction  of  the  unrighteoufnefs  and 
cruelty  of  that  trade,  and  a  regard  to  jultice  and  bene¬ 
volence,  deeply  fenfible  of  the  inconfiltence  of  promot¬ 
ing  the  flavery  of  the  Africans,  at  the  fame  time  we  arc 
"aflerting  our  own  civil  liberty,  at  the  rifque  of  our  for¬ 
tunes  and  lives.  This  leaves  in  our  minds  no  doubt  of 
your  being  fenfible  of  the  equal  unrighteoufnefs  and 


*  The  reader  is  delired  to  obferve,  that  the  firft  edition  of 
ibis  dialogue  was  published  early  in  the  year  1-776?  before  the  de¬ 
claration  of  cur  Independence. 


f  T  1 

opprefiion,  as  well  as  inconilfience  -with  ourfelves,  \w 
holding  fo  many  hundreds  of  thoufands  of  blacks  in  Ha- 
very,  who  have  an  equal  right  to  freedom  with  our- 
felves,  while  we  are  maintaining  this  Itruggle  for  our 
own  and  our  children’s,  liberty  :  aird  a  hope  and  con¬ 
fidence  that  the  cries  and  tears  of  thefe  opprefied  will 
be  regarded  byyou^.and  that  your  wifdom  and  the- 
great  influence  you  have  in  thefe  colonies,  will  be  fo 
properly  and  effedlually  exerted,  as  to  bring  about  a  to¬ 
tal  abolition  of  fiavery,  infuch  a  manner  as  ftrall  greatly 
promote  the  happinefs  of.thofe  opprefied  flrangcrs,  and 
the  beltdntereft  of  the  public. 

There  are  many  difficulties  and.obftacles,  we  are  fen- 
fible,*in  the  way  of  this  good  work  :  But  when  the  pro¬ 
priety,  importance,  and  necefiity  of  it,  come  into  view, 
we  think  ourfelves  warranted  to  addrefs  you,  in  the 
words  fpoken  to  Ezra,  on  an  occafion  not  wholly  dif- 
fitmilar.  “  Arife,  for  this  matter  belongeth  unto  you 
we  alfo  will  be  with  you  :  be  of  good  courage  and  do  it.” 

The  righteous  and  merciful  governor  of  the  world, 
Kas  given  the  greateft  .encouragement  to  go  on,  and  tho¬ 
roughly  execute  judgment,  and.  deliver  the  fpoiled 
out. of  the  hand,  of  the  opprefior,  both  in  his  word,  and 
in  the  wonderful  things  he  has  done  for  us  lince  we  have 
began  to  reform  this  public  iniquity But  if  we  Hop- 
here,  what  will  be  the  confequence  > - 

It  is  obfervable,  that  when  the  Swils  were  engaged, 
in  their  firuggle  for  liberty-,  in  which  they  fo  °re- 
m  ark  ably  fuec  eeded,  they  entered,  into  the.*  following 
public  rcfolvc  “  No  Swils  fihall  take  away  any,  thing 
by  violence  from  another,  neither  in  time  of  war,  nor 
peace.5'  *  How  reafonable  and  important  is  it  that  we 
fliould  at  this  time  heartily  enter  into,  and  thoroughly 
cxccute  fuch  a  refolution  V  And  that  this  implies  the 
emancipation  of  all  our. African  fiaves,  furely  none.cm.. 
dottbr.- 


*  Dr.,  Zvet.  y’s  Short  Accounts.  o> 

A 


\-  "O  j 

Inr  this  view,  the  following  dialogue  is  humbly  offered 
ta  your  perulal,  hoping  that  i:  may  have  your  approba¬ 
tion  and  patronage. 

May  you  judge  the  poor  of  the- people,  fave  the 
children  of  the  needy,  relieve  the  opprefled,  and  der 
liver  the  fpoiled  out  of  the  handsof  the  oppreffor  ;  and  be 
tfee  happy  inftraments  of  procuring  and  eilablifhing 
univerfal  Liberty  to  white  and  black,  to  be  tranf- 
Knitted  down  to  the  latell  pofferity  f  With  high  efteem, 
and  the  moll  friendly  fentim^mts,  Wc  are,  honourable 
Gentlemen, 

Your  very  humble  fervants. 
The  EDITORS. 

-A  ~-U  -  '  <•-*  . 


A  DIALOGUE,  &c.. 

A.  Ql  Kt  What  do  you.  think  of  the  motion  made  by- 

fome  among  us,  to  f  ree  all  our  African  Haves  ? 
They  fay,  that  our  holding  thefe  blacks  in  fiavery,  as 
we  do,  is  an  open  violation  of  the  law  of  God,  and  is 
fo  great  an  inftance  of  unrighteoufnefs  and  cruelty,  that 
we  cannot  expedb  deliverance  from  prefent  calamities, 
and  fuccefs  in  our  ftruggle  for  liberty  in  the  American 
colonies,  until  we  repent*  and  make  all  the  rellitution 
in  our  power.  For  my  part,  I  think  they  carry  things 
much  too  far  on,  this  head ;  and  if  any  thing  might  be 
done  for  the  freedom  -of  our  flaves,  this  is  not  a  proper 
time  to  attend  to  it,  while  we  are  in  fuch  a  Hate  of  war 
and  diftFefs,  and  affairs  of  much  greater  importance  de¬ 
mand  all  our  attention,  and  the  utmoft  exertion  of  the 
public. 

B.  Sir,  I  am  glad  you  have  introduced  this  fubjedl i 
efpecially,  as  you  own  a  number  of  thefe  Haves ;  I  fhall 
attend  to  it  with  pleafure,  and  offer  my  fentiments  up¬ 
on  it  freely,  expecting  you  will  as  freely  propofe  theob- 
jedlions  you  fhall  have  againft  any  thing  I  fhall  advance. 
And  I  take  leave  here  to  obferve,  that  if  the  flavery  in 
which  we  hold  the- blacks,  is  wrong  ;  it  is  a  very  great 
and  public  fin  ;  and  therefore  a  fin  which  God  is  now 
teilifying  againfi  in  the  calamities  he  has  brought  upon 
us,  confequently  mull  be  reformed,  before  we  can  rea- 
lonabJy  expedi  deliverance,  or  even  fincerely  afit  for  it. 

It  would  be  worfe  than  madnefs  then,:  to  put  off  atten¬ 
tion  to  this  matter,  under  the  notion  of  attending  to  . 
more  important  affairs.  This  is  adling  like  the  mari¬ 
ner,  who,  when  his  Hi  ip  is  filling  with  water,  negledts  . 
lollop 'the  leak  o'  ply  the  pump,  that  he  may  mend  fiic 


[  12  ] 

fails.  There  are  at  the  lowed  computation,  800,000 
Haves  in  Britijh  America,  including  the  Weft- India  iflands ; 
and  a  great  part  of  thefe;  ore  in  the  colonie3on  the  con¬ 
tinent.  And  if  this  is  in  every  inftance  wrong,  un- 
righteoufnefs  and  oppreffion  ;  it  mud  be  a  very  great 
and  crying  fin,  there  being  nothing  of  the  kind  equal  to 
it  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  There  are  but  few  of  thefe 
Haves,  indeed  in  New -Engl and ,  compared  with  the  vafl 
numbers  in  the  iflands  and  the  fouthern  colonies ;  and 
they  are  treated  much  better  on  the  continent,  and  cfpe- 
oially  among,  us,  than  they  are-  in  the  Weft-Indies . . 
But  if  it  be  all  wrong,  and  real  .oppreffion  .of  the  poor 
helplefs  blacks,  we,  by. refufing.to  break  this  yoke,  and 
let  thefe  injured  captives  go  free,  do -practically  juflify 
and  fupport  this  fiavery  in  general.,  and  make  ourfelves, , 
in  a  meafure  at  lead,  anfwerable  for  the  whole:  and 
we  have  no  way  to  exculpate  ourfelves  from -the  guilt  of 
the  whole,  and  bear  proper  tediniony  againlt.this  great 
evil,  but  by  freeing  all  our  Haves.  Surely,  then,  this* 
matter  admits  of  no  delay  ; Tut  demands  our  firft,  and 
mod  ferious  attention,  andipeedy  reformation. 

'  A.  1  acknowledge  ihe.fta've  trade ,  as  it  has  been  car* 
ried  on  with  the  Africans ,  cannot  be  judified.  But  I 
am  not  yet  convinced  that  it  is  wrong  to  keep  thofe  in 
perpetual  bondage,  who  by  this,  trade  have  been  iranf- 
ported  from  Africa  to  us,,  aud  are  become  our  Haves. 
If  I  viewed  this  in  the  light  you  do,  Lfhoukl  agree  with 
you  that  it  is  of  thehigheil  importance  that  they  (hould 
all  be  made  free  without  delay  ;  as  we  could  not  ex- 
pe£l  the  favour  of  Heaven,  or  with  any  cond&sncy  aik 
it,  fo  long  as  they  are  held  in  .bondage. . 

B.  1  am  glad  you  have  attended  to  the  affair  fo  much 
as  to  be  convinced  of  the  unrighteoufneis  of  the  Have 
trade.  Indeed,  this  convi&ion  has  been  fo  fpread  of 
late,  that  it  is  has  reached  a!  mod  all  men  on  the  conti¬ 
nent,.  except  fome  of  thole  who  are  too  deeply  interefted 
in  it,  to  admit  the  light  which  condemns  it.  And  it 
has  now  but  few  advocates,  I  believe,  being  generally- 
condemned,  and.  exploded*.  And  the.  members  of.the*. 


t  J  3  J 

Continental  Congrcfs  have  done  themfelv.es  much  ho¬ 
nour,  in  advifing  the  American  colonies  to  drop  this  trade 
entirely  ;  and  refolving  not  to  buy  another  ilave,  that 
/hall  be  imported  from  Africa . 

But  I  think  it  of  importance  that  this  trade  (hould  not 
only  be  condemned  as  wrong,  but  attentively  confidered 
in  its  real  nature,  and  all  its  /hocking  attendants  and 
circumdances ;  which  will  lead  us  to  think  of  it  with  a 
detedarion  and  horror,  which  this  feene  of  inhumanity,, 
oppreflion  and  cruelty,  exceeding  every  thing  of  the 
kind  that  his  ever  been  perpetrated  by  the  fons  of  men, 
is  fuitei  to  excite  ;  and  awaken  us  to  a  proper  indigna¬ 
tion  againft  the  authors  of  this  violence  and  outrage, 
done  to  their  fellow  men  ;  and  to  feelings  of  humanity 
and  pity  towards  our  brethren,  who  are  the  miferable 
/offerers.  Therefore,  though  I  am  not  able  to  paint 
this  horrid  feene  of  barbarity  and  complicated  iniquity, 
ta  the  life,  or  even  to  tell  the  one  half  which  may  be 
■old,  in  the  fliort  time  allotted  for  this  converfation 
yet  I  will  fugged  a  few  particulars ;  leaving  you,  if  you 
.pi cafe,  to  coni'.  It  the  authors  who  have  given  a  more 
particular  defcription. 

Molt  of  the  Africans  are  in  a  date  cf  heathenifm  ; 
and  lunk  down  into  that  ignorance  and  barbarity,  into 
which  mankind  naturally  fall,  when  deititute  of  divine 
revelation.  Their  lands  are  fertile,  and  produce  all  the 
nece/Tuies  of  life:  The  inhabitants  are  divided  into 
many  diiiind  nations  or  clans ;  and  ol  courfe  are  fre¬ 
quently  entering  into  quarrel's,  and  open  war  with  each 
other.  The  Europeans ,  English,  Frejicb,  Dutch ,  &c.  have 
carried  on  a  trade  with  them  for  above  ioo  years;  ar.J 
have  taken  advantage  of  their  ignorance  and  barbarity, 
to  perluade  them  to  enter  into  the  inhuman  p  rad  ice  of 
jelling  one  another  to  the  Europeans,  for  the  commodi¬ 
ties  which  they  carry  to  them,  mod  of  which,  they 
itand  in  no  real  need  of :  but  might  live  as  well,  or  bet¬ 
ter  without  them  :  particularly  fpiritous  liquors,  which 
have  been  carried  to  them  in  great  quantities  by 

B 


&  .  ,  *■  • 

'[  *4  3 

Americans.  They,  by  this  means,  have  tempted  and  ex¬ 
cited  the  poor  blacks  to  make  war  upon  one  another, 
in  order  to  get  captives,  fpreading  diltrefs,  devaftation 
and  deftrudtion  over  a  vaii  country  ;  by  which  many 
millions  have  perifhed  :  and  millions  of  others,  have 
been  captivated,  ana  fold  to  the  Europeans  and  Americans, 
..into  a  fiate  of  fiavery,  much  worfe  than  death.  And 
the  inhabitants  of  the  towns  near  the  fea,  are  taught  to 
exert  all  the  art  and  power  they  have,  to  entrap  and  de¬ 
coy  one  another,  that  they  may  make  Haves  of  them,  and 
fell  them  to  us  for  rum ;  by  which  they  intoxicate  them- 
leives,  and  become  more  brutilh  and  favage  than  other- 
wife  they  could  be,  fo  that  there  are  but  few  inftances 
of  fobriety,  honefty,  or  even  humanity,  in  thefe  towns 
on  the  lea,  to  which  the  Europeans  have  acccfs  :  and 
they  who  live  the  furtheil  from  thefe  places,  are  the 
lea  ft  vicious,  and  much  more  civil  and  humane. 

They  ft  and  in  no  need  of  the  rum  that  is  carried  there 
in  fuch  vaft  quantities,  by  which  fo  many  thoufands 
have  been  enflaved,  and  which  has  fpread  fuch  infinite 
mifchief  among  them.  And  I  leave  it  with  you  tocon- 
iider  to  what  a  dreadful  degree  the  Americans  have,  by 
this  abominable  pradlice,  brought  the  curie  upon  them, 
pronounced  by  an  infpired  prophet  ;  and  how  very  ap¬ 
plicable  it  is  to  this  cafe.  Ai  Woe  unto  him  that  giv- 
“  eth  his  neighbour  drink  :  that  putt  eft  thy  bottle  to 
“  him,  and  makelt  him  drunken  alfo,  that  thou  mayft 
*l  look  on  their  nakednefs  And  is  not  this  curfe  evi¬ 
dently  come  upon  us,  in  a. dreadful  degree,  in  fuch  a 
way,  as  to  paint  itielf  out,  fo  that  he  who  runs  may 
read,  it  ?  We  have  put  the  bottle  to  our  neighbours 
mouths,  by  carrying immenfc  quantities  of  rum  to  them, 

I  apd  indeed  them  to  drink,  that  we  might  take  advantage 
T of  their  weaknefs,  and  thereby  gratify  our  lufts.  By 
this  means  multitudes  of  them  have  been  enllaved,  and 
carried  to  the  Weft -India,  illands,  there  to  be  kept  to  hard 
labour,  and, treated  ten  thoufand  times  worfe  than  dogs. 
In  confequence  of  which,  incredible  quantities  of  rum* 


u.  15. 


and  molafles  which  has  been  diflilled  into  rum  among'/ 
ourfelves,  have  been  imported  ;  the  moft  of  which  Is 
confumed  in  intemperance  and  drunkennefs,  in  fuch  a 
dreadful  degree,  as  to  exceed  any  thing  of  the  kind  in 
any  part  of  the  world  ;  by  which  thoufands,  yea  milli¬ 
ons,  have  ruined  themfelves,  body  and  foul,  for  ever. 
Let  any  one  confider  this,  and  forbear  to  confefs,  if  he 
can,  that  this  woe  has  fallen  heavily  upon  us,  and  that  in. 
fuch  a  way  and  connection  as  to  point- out  the  iinful 
caufe. 

But  to  return.  This  trade  has  been  carried  o'n  for 
a  century  and  more,  and  for  many  years  p?dt,  above  an 
hundred  thoufand  have  been  brought  off  the  coaft  in  a 
year,  fo  that  many,  many  millions  have  been  torn  from 
their  native  country,  their  acquaintance,  relations  and 
friends,  and  molt  of  them  put  into  a  hate  of  flavery,  both 
themfelves,  and  their  children  for  ever,  if  they  fhall  have 
any  poflerity,  much  vvorfe  than  death.  When  numbers 
©f  thefe  wretched  creatures  are  collected  by  the  favages, 
they  are  brought  into  the  public  market  to  be  fold,  all 
naked  as  they  were  bbm.'  The  more  than  favage  fla ve- 
merchant  views  them,  and  fends  his  furgeon,  more  par¬ 
ticularly  to  examine  them,  as  to  the  foundnefs  of  their 
limbs,  their  age,  fkc.  All  that  are  palled  as  fit  for  fale, 
are  branded  with  a  hot  iron  in  fome  part  of  their  body, 
with  the  buyers  mark  ;  and  then  confined,  crowded  to¬ 
gether  in  fome  clofe  hold,  till  a  convenient  time  to  put 
them  on  board  a  fhip.  When  they  are  brought  cn 
board,  all  are  immediately  purirr  irons,  except  fome  of 
the  women  perhaps,  and  the.fmall  children,  where  they 
are  fo  crowded  together  in  that  hot  climate,  that  ccr..-‘ 
nronly  a  confiderable  number  die  on  their  paffage  to  the 
Weft  Indies ,  occafioned  partly  by  their  confinement, 
partly  by  the  grief  and  vexation  of  their  minds,  from 
the  treatment  they  receive,  and  the  fituation  in  which 
they  find  themfelves.  And  a  number  common; v  die 
after  they  arrive  at  the  Weft -ladies,  in  feafoning  to  the 
climate;  fo  that,  commonly,  not  above  feventy  in  an  * 
hundred  furvivc  their  tranfpoitaAon  ;  by  which  meaF.^- 


E  '6  T 

about  thirty  thoufand  are  murdered  every  year  by  this 
llave-trade,  which  amounts  to  three  millions  in  a  cen¬ 
tury.  When  they  are  brought  to  the  Weji-Indics ,  they 
are  again  expofed  to  market,  as  if  they  were  fo  many 
beafts,  and  fold  to  the  highcft  bidder  j  where  again 
they  are  feparated  according  to  the  humour  of  the  tra¬ 
ders,  without  any  regard  to  their  friendfhips  or  relations,, 
cl  hufbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  brothers 
and  fillers,  See.  being  torn  from  each  other,  without 
the  Ieaft  regard  to  any  thing  of  this  kind,  and  fent  to 
different  places,,  without  any  profpedl  of  feeing  each 
ether  again.  They  are  then  put  under  a  talk- mailer, by 
the  pmc hading  planter,  who  appoints  them  their  work, 
and  rules  over  them  with  rigour  and  cruelty,  following 
them  with  his  cruel  whip,  or  appointing  one  to  do  it,  if 
poiTibie,  more  cruel  than  himfelf.  The  infirm  and  fee¬ 
ble,  the  females,  and  even  thofe  w  ho  are  pregnant,  or 
have  infants  to  take  care  of,  mult  do  their  talk  in  the 
field  equally  with  the  reft  ;  or  if  they  fall  behind,  may 
be  fure  to  feel  the  lafh  of  their  unmerciful  driver. 
Their  allowance  of  food  at  the  fame  time  is  very  coarfe 
and  fcant,  and  muft  be  cooked  by  themfelves,  if  cooked 
at  all,  when  they  want,  to  be  afleep^  And  often  they 
have  no  food  but  what  they  procure,  for  themfelves,  by 
working  on  the  fatbath  ;  for  that  is  the  only  time  they 
have  to  themfelves.  And  to  make  any  complaint,  or 
petition  for  relief,  will  expofe  them  to  feme  levere  pu- 
nifhment,  if  not  a  cruel  death.  The  Ieaft  real  or  fup- 
pofeable  crimes  in  them,  are  punifhed  in  the  moft  cruel 
manner.  And  they  have  no  relief ;  there  being  no  ap¬ 
peal  from  their  mailers  fentence  and  will,  who  com¬ 
monly  are  more  like  favage  beaft.%  than  rational,  hu¬ 
man  creatures.  And  to  petition  for  liberty,  though  in 
the  moft  humble  and  mod  eft  terms,  is  as  much  as  their 
lives  are  worth  as  few  efcape  the  moft  cruel  death, 
who  prefume  to  hint  any  thing  of  this  kind  to  their 
mailers  :  It  being  a  maxim  with  thofe  mere  than  cruel 
tyrants,  that  the  only  way  to-  keep  them  under,  and 
prevent  their  thinking  of  the  fweets  of  liberty,  is  to  pa- 


[  «7  J 


Jii!h  the  lead  intimation  of  it  in  the  feverefi  manner,  as 
the  molt  intolerable  affront  and  infult  on  their  mailers. 
Their  labour  is  fo  hard,  and  their  diet  fo  fcant  and  poor, 
and  they  are  treated  in  all  refpe&s  with  fuch  oppreffion 
and  cruelty,  that  they  do  not  encreafe  by  propagation 
in  the  iflands,  but  conilantly  decreafe,  fo  that  every 
planter  mult  every  year  purchafe  five  at  leali  to  every 
hundred  he  has  on  his  plantation,  in  order  to  keep  his 
number  from  diminifliing. 

But  it  is  in  vain  to  attempt  a  full  description  of  the 
Oppreffion  and  cruel  treatment  thefe  poor  creatuies  re¬ 
ceive  conftantly  at  the  hands  of  their  imperious,  unmer¬ 
ciful,  worfe  than  Egyptian  taik-mafters.  Words  cannot 
utter  it.  Volumes  might  be  written,  and  not  give  a 
detail  of  a-thoufandth  part  of  the  fnockingly  cruel 
things  they  have  fuftered,  and  are  conilantly  fuffering. 
Nor  can  they  pofii'cly  be  conceived  of  by  any  one, 
who  lias  not  been  an  eye  witnefs.  And  how  little  a 
part  does  he  fee!  They  who  are  witneffes  to  any  part 
of  this  horrid  feene  of  barbarous  oppreffion,  cannot  but 
feci  tlie  truth  and  propriety  of  Solomon's  words  :  “  So 

I  returned,  and  confidered  all  the  oppreffions  that  are 
done  under  the  fun  :  and  behold  the  tears  of  the  opprd- 
fed,  and  they  had  no  comforter  ;  and  on  the  fide  of  the 
oppreffors  there  was  power ;  but  they  had  no  comforter. 
W  herefore  I  praifed  the  dead,  which  are  already  dead, 
more  than  the  living  which  are  yet  alive*  Solomon 
never  law  any  oppreffion  like  this,  unlefs  he  looked  for¬ 
ward  to  this  very  inflance,  in  the  fpirit  of  prophefy. 

■d.  Sir,  there  is  one  important  circumftance  in  favour 
of  the  Have-trade  ;  or  which  will  at  leal!  ferve  to  coun- 
terbalknce  many  of  the  evils  you  mention  ;  and  that  is; 
we  bring  thefe  (laves  from  a  heathen  land;  to  places  of 
gofpcl  light;  and  fo  put  them  under  fpecial  advantages 
to  be  faved. 

JB.  I  l  now  this  has  been  mentioned  by  many  in  fa¬ 
vour  of  the  Have-trade  :  but  when  examined,  will  turn 
greatly  againd  it.  It  can  hardly  be  faid  with  truth, 

*  Eccl,  iv,  i,  2. 


that  the  Weft-thdia  iflands  are  places  of  gofpel  light. 
But  if  they  were,  are  the  Negroes  in  the  leafl  benefited 
by  it  ?  Have  they  any  accels  to  the  gofpel  ?  Have  they- 
any  inftru&ion,  more  than  if  they  were  beads  ?  So  far 
from  this,  that  their  mailers  guard  again  It  their  having 
any  inftrubtion  to  their  utmolt ;  and  if  any  one  would 
attempt  any  fuch  thing,  it  would  beat  the  riique  of  his 
life.  And  all  the  poor  creatures  learn  of  Chriftianitv, 
from  what  they  fee  in  thofe  who  call  themfelves  Chrif- 
tians,  only  ferves  to  prejudice  them  in  the  higheft  degree 
again  ft  the  Chrifiian  religion.  For  they  not  only  fee 
the  abominably  wicked  lives  of  moil  of  thofe  who  are 
called  Chriftians,  but  are  conilantly  oppreffed  by  them, 
and  receive  as  cruel  treatment  from  them,  as  thev  could 
from  the  vvorft  of  beings.  And  as  to  thofe  who  are 
brought  to  the  continent,  in  the  fouthern  colonies  % 
and  even  to  New  -  England ,  lo  little  pains  are  taken  to 
initrud  them,  and  there  is  fo  much  to  prejudice  them 
againft  ChriPtianity,  that  it  is  a  very  great  wonder,  and 
owing  to  an  extraordinary  divine  interpofition,  in 
which  vve  may  fay,  God  goes  out  of  his  common  way,, 
that  any  of  themihould  think  favourably  of  Ghrif+ianiry,, 


and  cordially  embrace  it.  As  to  the  molt  of  them,  no 
wonder  they  are  unreachable,  and  get  no  good  by  the 
gofpel  ;  but  have  imbibed  the  deeped  prejudices  again  it 
it,  from  the  treatment  they  receive  from  proleiTed 
Chiillianf:  $  prejudices  which  molt  of  them  are  by  their 
circurnftances  retrained  from  expreuing  ;  while  tney 
are  fixed  in  the  ftrongelt  degree  in  their  minds. 

But  if  this  was  not  the  cafe,. and  all  the  Haves  brought 
from  Africa  *  were  put  under  the  belt,  advantages  to  be¬ 
come  Clinicians,  and  they  were  in  circumltances  that 


*  It  can  be  proved,,  that  fince  the  war  begun,  a  propofal  was 
made  to  fend  forne  blacks,  who  were  qualified  to  teach  Chriftisn- 
ity,  into  the.  fouthern  colonics,  to  teach  the  blacks  there,  arid 
attempt  to  Christianize  them  :  but  the  gentlemen  who  were  bet¬ 
ter  acquainted  with  the  difpofition  of  fiave-holders,  in  thofe  parts, 
difeouraged  the  delign,  and  f  id  the  mafters  or  tne  biaCA...  hi  ge¬ 
neral,  would  not  fuffer  any  fuch  tiring  ! 


t  >9  1 

tended  to  give  them  the  molt  favourable  idea  of  Chrif- 
tians,  and  the  religion  they  profefs  *  ;  and  though  all 
concerned  in  this  trade,  and  in  fiavery  in  general,  Ihould 
have  this  wholly  in  view,  viz.  their  becoming  Chriftians, 
by  which  they  fhould  be  eternally  happy ;  yet  this 
would  not  ju&ify  the  flave-trade,  or  continuing  them 
in  a  llate  of  flavery  :  For  to  take  this  method  to  chrif- 
tianize  them,  would  be  a  diredt  and  grofs  violation  of 
the  laws  of  Chritl.  He  commands  us  to  govand  preach 
the  gofpel  to  all  nations  ;  to  carry  the  gofpel  to  them, 
and  not  to  go,  and  with  violence  bring  them  from  their 
native  country,  without  faying  a  word  to  them,  or  to 
the  nations  from  whom  they  are  taken,  about  the  gofpel, 
or  anything  that  relates  to  it. 

If  the  Europeans  and  Americans  had  been  as  much  en~ 
gaged  to  chrilrianize  the  Africans ,  as  they  have  been  to 
enflave  them  ;  and  had  been  at  half  the  coll  and  pains 
to  introduce  the  gofpel  among  them,  that  they  have  to 
captivate  and  deftroy  them ;  we  have  all  the  reafon  in 
the  world  to  conclude  that  extenfive  country,  contairr- 
ing  fuch  a  vail  multitude  of  inhabitants,  would  have 
been  full  of  gofpel  light,  and  the  many  nations  there, 
civilized  and  made  happy  ;  and  a  foundation  laid  for 
the  falvation  of  millions  of  millions  ;  and  the  happy  in- 
ilruments  of  it  have  been  rewarded  ten  thoufand  fold 
for  all  their  labour  and  cxpence.  But  now,  inilead  of 
this,  what  has  been  done  on  that  coaft,  by  thofe  who 
pals  among  the  Negroes  for  Chriibians  'j-,  has  only 
ferved  to  .produce  and  fpread  the  greateft  and  moft  deep- 
rooted  prejudices  againft  the  Chriftian  religion,  and 
bar  the  way  to  that  which  is  above  all  things  defirable, 

*  Which  cannot  be  the  cafe,  fo  long  2s  they  are  held  in  a 
ft  ice  of  tlavcvy,  or  they'  are  brought  away  from  their  native  coun- 
tiy  in  the  manner  they  are  j  fo  that  the  fuppofition  is  inconfift- 
e/;t,  and  deftroys  ttfelf. 

■f  For  they  have  no  way  to  get  an  idea  of  a  Chriftian,  but 
from  the  appearance  and  conduct  of  the  Europeans  or  Americans, 
in  the  practice  of  all  their  unrighteoufncf3,  cruelty,  profaner.efs 
.-and  debauchery. 


t  2°  ] 

their  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  that  they 
might  be  Hived.  So  that  while,  by  the  murdering  or 
en Having  millions  of  millions,  they  have  brought  a 
curie  upon  themi'elves,  and  on  all  that  partake  with 
them,  they  have  injured  in  the  higheil  degree  innumer¬ 
able  nations,  and  done  what  they  could  to  prevent 
their  falvation,  and  to  fatten  them  down  in  ignorance 
and  barbarity  to  the  lateit  poilerity  ! — Who  can  realize 
all  this,  and  not  feel  a  mixture  of  grief,  pity,  indigna¬ 
tion  and  horror,  truly  ineffable  !  And  mult  he  not  be 
filed  with  zeal  to  do  his  utinolt  to  put  a  fpeedy  Hop  to 
this  leven -headed  moniter  of  iniquity,  with  all  the  hor¬ 
rid  train  of  evils  with  which  it  is  attended. 

And  can  any  one  confider  all  thefe  things,  and  yet 
pretend  to  juiti fy  the  Have-trade,  or  the  flavery  cf  the 
Africans  in  America?  Is  it  no:  impofiible,  that  a  real 
Chriitian,  who  has  attended  to  ail  this,  fftould  have 
any  hand  in  this  trade  ?  And  it  requires  the  utmott 
ilretch  of  charity  to  fuppofe  that  any  one  ever  did,  or 
can  buy  or  fell  an  African  Have,  with  a  Hncere  view  to 
make  a  true  ChriiUan  cf  him  *. 

*  It  has  beer,  often  fa’.J,  in  vindication  of  the  fl3ve- trade,  tha^ 
the  blacks  are  to  cruel  to  each  other,  that  they  would  put  their 
captives  to  death,  if  they  could  not  fell  rliem  5  fo  that  they  who 
boy  them  fave  their  liver,  and  do  them  the  greateit  kindnefj. 
A  id,  at  the  fame  time,  this  trade  is  of  the  greateit  advantage  to 
the  Weft-India  iilands  and  the  fouthern  States,  and  to  all  in 
connexion  with  them  :  For  while  men  cannot  do  the  bufinefs 
which  is  done  by  the  blacks,  in  thofe  hot  climates,  fo  that  were 
not  the  blacks  introduced  and  improved,  ail  this  labour,  and  the 
produce  cf  it,  mull  ceale. 

A  fiver.  Thefe  fuggeftions  may  be  a  fufheient  vindication  of 
the  llave-trade  with  the  interefied  and  inattentive  j  but  the  im  • 
partial  and  judicious  wiii  fee  with  how  little  reafonar.d  truth  they 
are  urged,  when  they  have  attended  to  the  following  obiervations. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  thofe  people  did  kill  the  captives, 
in  general,  ivhich  they  took  in  war  ;  but  the  contrary  is  evident, 
from  the  account  given  of  them  by  thofe  Europeans  who  have 
travelled  and  lived  longed-  among  them.  They  represent  thofe 
nations,  which  have  not  been  corrupted  by  the  whites,  to  be, 
in  general,  induftrious,  friendly  and  hoipitable  5  and  in  a  great 
erfure  happy  in  the  enjoyment  ct  fociety,  and  the  comforts  ot 
me.  [See  Ajhort  account  of  ibat  part  cf  Africa  ;nbal:te.l  by  toe 


C  21  ] 

A.  AIL  this  feems  to  be  little  to  the  purpofe  *  nee 
it  was  granted  in  the  beginning  of  our  cotiverfation, 
that  the  flave-trade,  as  it  has  been  carried  on,  is  not  to 
bejulfified.  But  what  is  this  to  the  quelhon  wepropond 
to  confider  ;  which  isx  Whether  it  be  wrong  to  hold 
tile  blacks  we  Have  among  us  in  a  Hate  of  fiavery,  or 
ought  to  fet  them  free  without  delay:  To  this  you 

have  laid  little  or  nothing  as  yet. 

Negroes,  printed  at  Philadelphia,  1762.]  -And  there  is  abun¬ 
dant  evidence  from  hiftory,  and  tefiimoaies  incoutcftible,  "hat 
thefe  nations  have  been  encouraged  and  induced'to  carry  on  mod 
of  their  wars,  for  more  than  a  century  pad,  by  the  Europeans 
and  Americans,  that  they  might  get  captives  to  fell  to  traders  in 
the  foals  and  bodies  of  men  ;  and  where  this  trade  has  been  the 
means  of  Having  one  life,  it  has  deli  roved  millions.  There- fere, 
if 'profiling  Chriftians,  infteadef  encouraging  them  in  the:t  cru¬ 
elty,  and  tempting  them  to  defiroy,  captivate,  and  fe  i  each 
other,  had  taken  as  much  pains  to  teach  them  humanity  and  be¬ 
nevolence,  as.  they  have  to  reduce  millions  to  a  ftate  of  fla-very 
vorfe  than-de.ith  j  they  might  have  faved  as  many  lives,  as  now 
they  have  been  the  means  of  deftroying. 

Befides,  the  cruelty  of  thofe  favager  to  each"  ether,  is  no  war¬ 
rant  to  the  Have  trader  to  buy  thofe  fuppofed  victims,  and  put 
them  into  a  ftate  of  ffivery,  which,  by  their  own  confelTion,  is 
vvorfs  than  death.  -This,  lurely,  is  not  an  a£t  of  mercy,  but  of 
cruelty.  The  voice  of  mercy  and  humanity  is  againft  felling 
them  as  Haves.  Who  does  not  know  that,  tC  one  who  was  the 
means  of  preferving  a  man’s  life,  is  not,  therefore,  eutituled  to 
make  him -a  flave,  and  fell  him,  as  he  does  a  piece  of  goeds." 

As  to  othsr  fuggeftions,  viz.  That  the  blacks  are  iiecefiarv  to 
cultivate  the  lands  in  thofe  hot  climates,  fir.ee  the  whites  are 
not  able  to  labour  there,  it  may  be  obferved,  that  there  is  not  the 
?eafl  evidence  of  this ,  but  much  of  the  contrary.  Whites  are  healthy, 
and  do  the  labour  in  the  Eaft-Ir.'dres,  which  blacks  do  in  the  Weil, 
in  the  fame  climate  j  end  that-  to  much  greater  advantage,  of 
which  authentic  accounts  have  been  pubiifhed.  The  truth  i.s, 
mod  of  the  whites  which  are  born  in  the  ibuthern  dates,  or  the 
Weft  -Indies,  are  not  educated  to  labour,  hut,  great  part  of  the-:.. , 
in,  idlenefs  and  intemperance.  B  he. blacks  are  introduced  to  do 
the  work,  and  it  is  thought  a  difgrrce  for  a  white  perfion  to  get 
his  living  by.  labour.  By  this  means,  the  whites  in  general  are 
vicious,  and  all  imbibe  fuch  a  haughty  and  tyrannical  fpint,  by- 
holding  fo  many  Haves,  that  they  are  above  labour,  and  many  of 
them,  rather  a  plague  than  a  bleding  to  ail  about  thc-r.  •  ‘  -•d 

B  a 


r  22  ] 


Ail  I  have  faid  upon  the  flavc-Crade,  to  file  tv  the' 
arwighteouinefs,  the  cruelly,  the  murder,  the  opposition 
to  Chriltianity  and  the  fpread  of  the  gofpel  among  the 
jlfn c £oti ,  tne  deflrudlion  of  whole  nation?,  and  myriads 
of  fouls,  wdiich  are  contained  in  this  horrid  praftice, 
has  been  principally  with  a  view  to  a  more  clear  and 
nrisfadlory  determination  of  the  quetlion  before  us, 
wliicn  you  have  now  renevVedly  propofed — For  I  think 

whole  families  arc  ruined  for  ever,  by  means  of  this  flavery. 
^-Vncreas,  ir  Ah  lean  flaves  had  never  been  introduced,  cr  this 
( -  i very  were  now  aboli/had  j  and  every  manjrad  bis  farm  or  plan¬ 
tation,  no  more  than  He  could  cultivate  to  the-beft advantage,  by 
the  Help  c;  his  children,  and  perhaps  a  few  hired  men  5  this 
would  introduce  indudrv,  temperance  and  ^economy  $  the  land 
would  produce  much  more  than, it  does  now  j  and  the  country  be 
hlied  with  indultrious,  virtuous  inhabitants,  happy  themfelves, 
ar.d  bleflir.gs  to  all  around  them,  inn-ead  of  the  comparatively 
sew  rajnilies  now,  many  of  which  area  burden  to  the  earth,  and 
a  i  fa  race  to  human  nature. — This  brings  rise  words  of  Solomon 
Ve.'h  to  mind,  Sccl.  viii.  9.  iC  There  is  a  time,  when  one  naan 
uleth  over  another  te  bis  own  hurt.  ' 

V/e  cannot  hsficate  to  fay,  this  fage  obfervation  is  verified  in 
he  mod  driknig  manner,  and  to  the  higheft  degree,  in  the  flavery 
nJer  consideration.  It  is  an  unfpeakable  hurt  to  the  public,  to 
.he  commonwealth.  If  it  is  inconfiftent  with  republican  princi- 
ies,  and  tends  to  overthrow  the  liberty  of  thofe  (dates,  and  irj- 
•  reduce  monarchy  and  tyranny,  to  have  fuch  flavery  tolerated 
mong  us,  and  fo  rhaJiy  petty  lQvereigns  and  lores,  ruling  pver 
number  of  ya.Tals  with  defpotic  fvvjy.  Their  children jvatural- 
?y  imbibe  thofe  arbitrary  principles,  and  grow  up  as  unfit  to  be 
ufefui  members  of  thofe  free,  republican  dates,  as  do  the  children  . 
of  the  mod  haughty  monarch  on  the  globe.  .And  thofe  men 
.  ule  over  themfelves  to  their  own  hurt,  and^the,hurt,  the  mifery 
.Hid  ruin  of  their  families,  temporal  and  Eteknal. 

Hut, it  it  fhopid  dill  be  thought  by  any,  cr  it  ee  in  faff  true, 
that  thofe  climates  cannot  be  cultivated.  bv  whites  j  let  it  be  re- 
r.ie  rr.be  ye  i,  that  this  is  no  judifi>?tio,n  of  the  horrid  flave  trade, 
>nc!  ::  retry  now  praftifed  ;  refit  \>.s  good,  reafon  why  the  jvhifcs 
fnou'a  abandon  the  places  where  they  cannot  live,  uulefs  it  be  on 
...iS.h:  .ioi  ufothe.  f,  as  good  as  themfelves  .;  and  renounce  the  bu- 
which  is  carried  on  jn  the.exercife  of  fo  much  unrighteouf- 
.icfh  snd  cruelty.  If  the  blacks  cr/yhsan  labour  there,  the  lands: 
..v?  theirs,  bv  right ;  and  they. ought  to  be  allowed  to  poflfefs  them,  - 
rv  (reemen,  'n;id.cupy  the  fruit  of  their  labour,  . 


[  23  ] 


■  he  following  proportion  may  be  advanced  as  undeni¬ 
able,  viz.  if  the  flaw- trade  be  unjvfii fable  and  wrong  \ 
then  our  holding  the  Africans  and  their  children  in  bondage , 
is  unjuJUfiable  and  wrong-,  and  the  latter  is  criminal  in 
J'ome  proportion  to  the  inexprefible  hafenefsand  criminality  cf 
the  former.  For, 

First,  If  they  have  been  brought ‘into  a  fcate  of 
flavery,  by  unrighteoufnefs  and  violence,  they  having 
never  forfeited  their  liberty,  or  given  am  cnc  a  right 
to  enflave  and  fell  them;  then  purchaling  them  of  thefe 
piratical  tyrants,- and  holding  them  in  the  fame  Hate  of* 
bondage  into  w-hich  they,  contrary  to  all  right,  have 
brought  them,  is  continuing  the  exercife  of  the  fame 
unrighteoufnefs  and  violence  towards  them.  They 
have  yet  as  much  a  right  to  their  liberty  as  ever  they 
had,  and  to  demand  it  of  him  -who  holds  them  in  bon¬ 
dage  ;  and  he  .denies  them  their  right,  which  is  of  more 
worth  to  them  than  every  thing  elfe  they  can  have  in 
the  world,  or  all  the  riches  the  unjuli mailer  does  or  can 
poF’efs  j  and  therefore  injures  them  in  a  very  high  de¬ 
gree  every  hoar  he  refufes  or  negledls.  to  fet  them  at 
liberty.-  Befides, 

Secondly,  Holding  thefe  blacks  in  a  Hate  of  fiavery, 
is  a  praflical  j unification  of  the  ilave-trade,  and  fo 
brings  the  guilt  of  that  on  the  head  of  him,  who  fo  far 
partakes  in  this  iniquity,  as  to  hold  one  of  thefe  a  Have, 
who  was  unrighteonily  made  fo  by  thefe  Ions  of  vio¬ 
lence.  The  old  addage,  “  The  partaker  is  as  bad  as 
the  thief,”  carries  fuch  a  plain  truth  in  it,  that  every 
one  mull  difeern  k  :  And  it  is  certainly,  acplicable  to 
this  cafe.. 

It  is  impofirble  to  buy  one  of  thefe  blacks  and  de¬ 
tain  him  a  Have,  vvithout  partaking  with  him  who  firlt 
reduced  him  to  this  Hate,  and  put  it  in  his  power  thus 
to  poflefs  him;  and  practically  ju  Hi  lying  him  for  fo 
doing,  fo  as  to  bring  upon  himfelf  the  guilt  of  firlt  er.- 
fiaving  him.  It  is  not  therefore  poifible  for  any  cf  our 
(lave- keepers  to  juilify  themlelves  in  what  tli  y  arc  doing, 
tiniefs  they  can  juilify  the  Have  trade.  If  they  fail  here,.' 


[  2+  ] . 

they,  bring  on  themfelves  an  awful  degree  of  the  guilts, 
or  the  whole. 

Thirdly,  By  keeping  thefe  flares,  and  buying  and. 
felling  them,  they  aftnaliy  encourage,  and  promote  the 
flave-trade  :  And  therefore,  in.  this  view,  keeping  llaves, 
and, continuing  to  buy  and  fell  them,  istto  bring  on  us. 
the  guilt  of  the  Have. trade,  which  is  hereby  fupported. 
Eor  fo  long  as  llaves  are. bought  and  poll  e  fled,  and  in-, 
demand  fo  long  the  African  trade  will  be.  fupported. 
and  encouraged. 

A.  But  there  is  a  Hop  put  to  the  importat’on  of  Haves, 
into  th z  American  Colonics,  as  they  have  refoived  no- 
more  (hall  be  bought.  This  being  the  cafe,  the  keep¬ 
ing  thofe  we  have  among  us  in  slavery,  is  i.o  encou. 
ragement  to  the  Have- trade. 

B.  I  grunt,  it  this  refutation  flioiuld  be  perpetual, 
and  extend,  to  the  Weft  Indies,  it  would  di  icon  rage  the 
flave-trade  ;  to  far  as  the  Americans  are  concerned  in  it: 
But  it  vvould.be  more  effectually  diicountenanced  and 
condemned,  if  flavery  was  wholly  aboliihed  ;  and  it  can¬ 
not  be  con  fluently  done  without  this..  For  il  it  be 
wrong  to  import  and  buy  them  new,  it  was  always 
wrong  ;  and  therefore  they  that  are  already  Haves  a. 
mong  us,  are  injured,  and  unjuflly  enflaved  ;  and  we • 
have  made  them  our  (laves  without  the  lealt  right  ; 
and  ought  to  retract  it,  and  repair  the  injury,  done  to 
them,  lo  fur  as  is  in  our  power,  by  fetring  them  free, 
and  compenfating  them  other  wile,  fo  far  as  we  are  a-  ie. 
There  is  therefore  a  palpable  inconflflcncy  in  refolving 
to  import  and  buy  no.  more  Haves  ;  and  yet  refufiug  to 
let  thofe  go  ouc  free,  which  we  have  already  enfluved,. 
unlefs  there  be.  iorne  inluDerable  impediment,  in  the 


way. 


The  whole  I’ have  faid  concerning  the  unlawfulnefs. 
of  keeping  the  blacks  in  flavery,  ii  the  trade  by  which 
thev  are  become  our  Haves  be  unlawful,  mav  be  ill uF- 
trateu  by  the  following  example. 

A  number  of  robbers  invaded  a  certain  province,  an«l 
took  off  moil  of  their  goods  and  effefle.  and  carried  them 


I  ^  '  [  25  ] 

to  a  neighbouring  province,  and  fold  thenr-io  the  inha¬ 
bitants  ;  and  the  robbers  finding  this  encouragements 
continued  the  practice  for  many  years.  At  length  the 
people  of  the  injured  province  applied  to  their  neigh¬ 
bours,  who  had  their  goods  of  the  robbers,  and  were  now 
in  pofl’effion  of  them,  and  afked  them  to  reftore  what  was 
taken  from  them  by  violence,  and  to  which  they  had 
a  good  and  indifputable  right ;  it  being  impofiible  thefe 
robbers  could  give  aright  to  what  they  had  unjuflly  ta¬ 
ken  from  them.  But  the  people  in  whofe  pofleffion  the 
ftolen  goods  were  found,  utterly  refufed  to  deliver  them 
up  to  the  injured  people  who  demanded  them.  They 
told  them,  they  had  indeed  been  greatly  injured,  and 
they  mull  condemn  the  robbers  as  very  injuiious  and 
cruel  in  what  they  had  dene:  But  as  they  now  had 
■thefe  goods  in  their  own  pofiefiion,  they  intended  to 
keep  them,  and  looked  on  themlelves  under  no  obliga¬ 
tion  to  deliver  them  up,  though  they  furfered  fo  much, 
and  would  probably  perifh  for  want  of  them.  And 
they  intended  Hill  to  buy  all  the  robbeis  fhould  bring 
•-to  them. 

To  th  s  the  injured  replied,  “  By  partaking  with 
*'  fhe:e  robbers  in  receiving  the  goods  at  their  hands, 
'1-  you  pra&ically  juilify  their  conduct,  and  mull  fhare 
u  with  them  in  their  guilt.  For  by  this  means  you  en- 
“  courage  them,  and  are  determined  to  go  on  to  encou- 
u  rage  them  in  this  violence  and  rapine  :  And  by  con- 
“  demning  them,  you  equally  condemn  vourfelves,  and 
“  mult  remain  under  this  condemnation  tiii  you  reilorc 

the  goods  we  demand  ;  ana  refolve  never  tc  purchafe 
“  anv  thus  taken  from  us  by  violence.” 

Upon  this  they  determined  to  purchafe  no  more  of 
them,  but  refufed  to  deliver  up  what  they  had  already 
got  in  poffellion.  But  the  oppreffed  told  them,  they 
did  right  in  refolving  to  injure  them  no  more  in  thac 
way  ;  but  they  were  now  very  inconfiftent  with  thern- 
felves ;  for  it  it  were  wrong  to  purchafe  any  more,  it 
■was  as  wrong  to  withhold  vvnat  they  had  already  gotten 


•[  -6  ] 

in  pofleflion  :  And  they  had  no  other  way  to  juftify 
themfelves  in  detaining  their  goods,  and  to  be  confid¬ 
ent,  but  by  proceeding  to  take  whatever  thofe  robbers 
fhould  bring  to  them  in  future,  and  juftifying  them¬ 
felves  in  fo  doing,  and  the  robbers  in  all  their  depre¬ 
dations. 

A.  This  reafoning  loojts  fomething  plaufible,  I  con- 
fefs ;  but  the  holy  fcripture  approves  of  making  and 
keeping  flaves ;  and  this  furely  is  fufficicnt  to  keep  us 
in  countenance. 

B.  I  hope  you  will  not  appeal  to  the  holy  fcripture, 
in  fupport  of  a  practice,  which  you  and  every  one  elfe 
mull  allow  to  be  fo  inexpreflible  unjuft,  inhuman  and 
cruel,  as  is  .the  fiave-trade  ;  and  confequently  fo  glar¬ 
ingly  contrary  to  the  "whole  tenor  of  divine  revelation. 
And  if  the  Have-trade  is  fuch  a  grofs  violation  of  every 
divine  precept,  ’tis  impoffible  to  vindicate  the  flavery 
to  which  the  Africans  have  been  reduced  by  this  trade, 
from  the  holy  fcripture.  Of  this  we  have  fuch  a  cer¬ 
tainty  a  priori,  that  would  be  a  horrid  reproach  of  di¬ 
vine  revelation,  to  pretend  this  pra&ice  can  be  fupport- 
ed  by  that ;  or  even  to  look  into  it  with  any  hope  or 
expectation  of  finding  any  thing  there  in  favour  of  \u 
And  if  there  be  any  paflages  in  the  bible,  which  are  ca¬ 
pable  of  a  conftru&ion  in  favour  of  this  practice,  we 
may  be  very  certain  it  is  a  wrong  one.  In  a  word,  if 
any  kind  of  flavery  can  be  vindicated  by  the  holy 
-fcripturcs,  we  are  already  fure  our  making  and  holding 
►the  Negroes  our  flaves,  as  we  do,  cannot  be  vindicated 
by  any  thing  we  can  find  there;  but  is  condemned  by 
the  whole  of  divine  revelation.  However,  I  am  wil¬ 
ling  to  hear  what  you  can  produce  from  fcripture,  in 
favour  of  any  kind  of  flavery. 

A.  You  know  that  a  curfe  was  pronounced  on 
the  pollerity  of  Ham,  for  his  wickednels,  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  words,  A  fer<var.t  of  fervants  Jhall  he  be  ur.to  his 
brethren.  He  could  not  be  a  fervant  unto  his  brethren, 
•unlefs  they  made  him  fo  ;  or  at  leall  held  him  in  fervi- 


[  *7  ] 


rode.  The  curie  could  not  take  place  unlefs  they  ex?-- 
cuted  it,  and  they  Teem  to  be  by  God  appointed  to  do 
this.  Therefore  while  we,  the  children  of  Japhetk^ 
are  making  fuch  abjedt  flaves  of  the  blacks,  the  children 


ef  Ham,  we  are  only  executing  the  righteous  curfe  de¬ 
nounced  upon  them  ;  which  is  fo  far  from  being  wrong 
in  us,  that  it  would  be  a  fin.,  even  difobedience  to  the 
revealed  will  of  God,  to  refufe  to  make  Haves  of  them, 
and  attempt  to  fee  them  at  liberty. 

B .  Do  you  think,  my  good  Sir,  it  was  the  duty  of 
Pharaoh  to  make  the  Israelites  ferve  him  and  the  Egyp¬ 
tians,  and  to  afflidt  them,  by  ruling  over  them  with  ri¬ 
gour,  and  holding  them  in  hard  and  cruel  bondage,  be- 
ca nfe  God  had  exprefsly  foretold  this,  and  faid  it  fhould 
be  done  ?  And  was  the  Affyrian  king  blamelefs  while 
he  executed  the  judgments  which  God  had  threatened 
to  inflict  on  his  profeffing  people  l  Did  God’s  threaten¬ 
ing  them  with  thofe  evils,  warrant  this  king  to  diftrefs, 
captivate  and  deltroy  them,  as  he  did  ?  And  will  you 
fay,  the  Jews  did  right  in  crucifying  our  Lord,  be- 
Cilifs  by  this  they  fulfilled  the  feriptures,  declaring 
that  thus  it  mult  be  ? — Your  argument,  if  it  is  of  any 
force,  will  aflert  and  juftify  all  this  and  therefore,  I 
hope,  will  be  renounced  by  you,  and  by  all  who  have 
the  lead  regard  for  the  holy  feripture,  with  proper  ab¬ 
horrence. 

But  if  this  argument  were  not  fo  fraught  with  ab- 
furdity  and  impiety  as  it  realiy  is,  and  it  were  granted 
to  be  forcible,  with  refpedt  to  all  upon  whom  the  men¬ 
tioned  curfe  was  denounced  ;  yet  it  would  not  juftify 
our  enflaving  the  Africans ,  for  they  are  not  the  pofteri- 
ty  of  Canaan,  who  was  the  only  Ion  of  Ham  that  was. 
doomed  to  be  afervant  of  fervants.  The  other  fons  of 
Ham ,  and  their  polterity,  are  no  more  affedted  with  - 
this  curfe,  than  the  other  fons  of  Noah ,  and  their  polte¬ 
rity.  Therefore  this  prediction  is  as  much  of  a  war¬ 
rant  for  the  Africans  enflaving  us,  as  it  is  for  us  to  make 
Haves  of  them.  The  truth  is,  it  gives  net  the  leafl  flia- 


r  28  ]• 


opw  cf  a  right  to  any  one  of  the  children  of  Noah  to 
make  Haves  of  any  of  their  brethren  *. 

jl.  The  people  of  Ifrael  were  allowed  by  God  to 
buy  and  make  Haves  from  the  nations  that  were  round 
about  them,  and  the  Grangers  that  lived  among  them  ; 
which  could  not  have  been  the  cafe,  if  this  was  wrong 
and  unjuft.  And  why  have  not  we  an  equal  right  to 
dp  the  fame  ? 

B. — And  why  have  not  we  an  equal  right  to  invade 
any  nation  and  land,  as  they  did  the  land  of  Canaan , 
and  deftroy  them  all,  men,  women  and  children,  and 
bfafts,  without  faving  fo  much  as  one  alive  ?  It  was 
right  for  the  Ifraciites  to  do  this,,  becauie  they  had  a 
divine  per  million  and  direction  to  do  it,  as  the  God  of 
Jjrael  had  a  right  to  deftroy  the  feyen  nations  of  Canaan 
in  what  way  he.  thought  beft,.and  to  dire£t  whom  lie 
pleafed  to  do  it.  And  it  was  right  for  them  to  make 
bond-fervants  of  the  nations  round  them,  they  having 
an  exprefs  permilTicn  to  do  it  from  him  who  has  a  right 
to  difpofe  of  all  men  as- he  pleafes.  God  faw  ft,  for- 
wife  reafons,  to  allow-  the  people  of  Ifro.il  thl2*  C' 
and  poftefs  Haves  5  but  is  this  any  licence  t©  ns  to  en- 
flave  any  of  our  fellow  men,  any  more  than  their  be¬ 
ing  allowed  to  kill  the  feven  nations  in  Canaan ,  is  a  war- 
raiitto  us  tokiilanyof  our  fellow  men,  whom  we  pleafe, 
and  are  able  to  deftroy,  and  take  pofieifton  ot  their 
eftates  ?  This  muft  be  anfwered  in  the  negative,  by 
every  one  who  will  allow'  himfelf  a  moment’s  reficdfcipn. 
God  gave  many  directions  and  laws  to  the  Jews,  which 
had  no  refpect  to  mankind  in  general  ;  and  this  under 

*  If  it  ihould  be  aiked,  why  Canaan  fhouid  be  fingled  out 
from  the  other  Tons  of  Ham,  and  curled  for  the  fns  of  his  fa¬ 
ther  ?  May  we  not  conclude  that  the  curie  fell  on  all  Ham’s., 
pofterity,  and  that  Canaan  only  is  mentioned,  as  including  all 
the  reft  ?  It  muft  be  anfwered,  No,  by  no  means.  We  have 
no  warrant. to  do  this.  The  father  finned  ;  and  God  mightjuftiy. 
have  curfed  all  his  pofterity.  But  in  his  wifdom  and  lovereign 
goodnefs,  he  curfed  only  one  branch  of  the  family.  And  how 
cffedlually  this  has  taken  place,  the  feripture  informs  us. 


f  29  ] 


confederation  has  all  the  marks  of  fuch  an  one.  There 
is  mot  any  thing  in  it,  or  relating  to  it,  from  whence 
can  be  deduced  the  ieaft  evidence  that  it  was  deiigned 
to  be  a  regulation  for  ail  nations  through  every  age  of 
the  world,  but  every  thing  to  the  contrary.  The  chil¬ 
dren  of  Ifrael  were  then  diftinguiflied  from  all  other  na¬ 
tions  on  earth  j  they  were  God’s  peculiar  people,  and 
favoured  on  many  accounts  above  others  ;  and  had  ma¬ 
ny  things  in  their  comlitution  and  laws  that  were  de¬ 
fined  to  keep  up  their  feperation  and  diftindlion  from 
other  nadons,and  to  make  the  fpecial  favour  of  Heaven 
towards  them  more  apparent  to  ail  who  had  any  know¬ 
ledge  of  them  :  And  this  law  refpe&ing  bondage,  is 
fuited  to  anfwer  thefe  ends.  This  diftinttion  is  now  at 
an  end,  and  all  nations  are  put  upon  a  level  ;  and, 
Chrift,  who  has  taken  down  the  wall  of  feperation,  has 
taught  us  to  look  on  all  nations  as  cur  neighbours  and 
brethren,  without  any  refpecl  of  perfons,  and  to  love 
all  men  as  ourfelves,  and  to  do  to  others  as  we  would 
they  fhould  treat  us  ;  by  which  he  has  mod  eftecfually 
uiiohihcd  this  ner million  given  to  the 


o  c  1CA 


il 


'A-&. 


many  other  inftitutions,  which  were  peculiar  to  them. 

Befidcs,  that  this  permiffion  was  not  deiigned  for  all 
nations  and  ages,  will  be  very  evident,  if  we  confider 
what  fuch  a  fuppoHtion  implies :  For  if  this  be  fo,  then 
all  other  nations  had  a  right  to  make  flaves  of  the  Jeivs. 
The  Egytians  had  a  rig*  t  to  buy  and  fell  them,  and  keep 
them  all  in  bondage  for  ever.  And  the  nations  round 
about  Canaan ,  had  a  right  to  bring  them  into  bondage, 
as  they  fometimes  did.  And  the  Babylonians  and  Ro¬ 
mans  had  a  good  warrant  to  reduce  them  to  a  itate  of 
captivity  and  fervitude.  And  the  Africans  have  a  good 
right  to  make  flaves  cf  us  and  our  children.  The  in¬ 
habitants  of  Great -Brit am  may  lawfully  make  flaves  of 
all  the  Americans,  and  tranfport  us  to  England ,  and  buvi 
and  fell  us  in  open  market,  as  they  do  their  cattle  and 
horfes,  and  perpetuate  our  bondage  to  the  lateft  gene¬ 
ration.  And  the  Turks  have  a  good  right  to  all  the 
Ghriilian  flaves  they  have  among  them  ;  and  to  make  as 


C  3°  ] 


many  more  flaves  of  us  and  our  children,  as  friall  be  in 
their  power  ;  and  to  hold  them  and  their  children  in 
bondage  to  the  lateft  pofterity.  According  to  this,  every 
man  has  a  warrant  to  make  a  bond  flave  of  his  neigh¬ 
bour,  whenever  it  lies  in  his  power  -T  and  no  one  has 
any  right  to  his  own  freedom,  any  longer  than  he  can 
keep  himfelf  out  of  the  power  of  others.  For  inftance, 
if  the  blacks  now  among  us,  fhould  by  Tome  remarks 
able  providence  have  the  power  in  their  hands  to  re¬ 
duce  us,  they  have  a  right  to  make  us  and  our  children 
their  Haves  ;  and  we  fhould  have  noreafon  to  complain. 

This  would  put  mankind  into  fuch  a  fibtc  of  perpe- 
tuai  war  and  confuJion,  and  is  fo  contrary  to  our  lov¬ 
ing  our  neighbour  as  ourfelves,  that  ho  who  has  the 
leal!  regard  for  his  fellow  men,  or  the  divine  law,  muft 
rejeft  it,  and  tlie  principle  from  which  it  flows,  with 
the  greateft  abhorrence.  Let  no  Chrijiian  then,  plead 
this  permiflion  to  the  Jews  to  make  bond  Havesof  their 
neighbours,  as  a  warrant  to  hold  the  flaves  he  has  made. 


and  confequently  for  univerfal  flavery. 

^  r*  i  i  •  1  i  r 


Our  wnsc  wm  vuu 


o  ^off-ores  in  the 

_ _  _ _ _ _  _  _ 

new  teftament,  which  are  in  favour  ot  flavery,  and  fup- 
pofe  Chriftian  malbers  to;  have  Chriftian  flaves ;  and 
the  mailers  are  fo  far  from  being  directed  to  free  them, 
that  ’tis  fuppofed  they  may  hold  them  in  bondage  ;  and 
their  mutual  duties  in  this  relation  are  inculcated  ? 
Paul  the  Apoftle  is  fo  far  from  bei  Mg  difpefed  to  have 
fervants  made  free,  that  he  fays,  Let  as  many  fer<v  ants  as 
are  under  tJje  yoke ,  count  their  own  majiers  worthy  of  all 
honour *  !  And  in  the  following  words  luppofes  that 
believing  majiers  had  iervants,  whom  he  exhorts  to  fei\e. 
fuch  matters  with  the  more  chearfulneis,  out  of  lefpedt 

to  their  Chrittian  character. 

B.  Before  I  make  a  dired  anfwer  to  this,  I  beg  leave 
to  remind  you,  that  whatever  other  kind  ot  flavery  thefe 
pafl'ages  will  vindicate,  they  certainly  will  not  lupport 
the  flave-trade,  and.  that  flavery  of  the  negroes  into 


*  l  Tim,  vU  *e. 


r  ] 


which  they  have  been  brought  by  this  trade,  w&ich  is 
manifeftly  unrighteous  from  beginning  to  end  ;  and 
therefore  can  be  nothing  to  our  prefent  purpofe,  viz.  to 
jullify  Chriftian  mailers  among  us  in  holding  the  blacks 
and  their  Children  in  bondage. 

I  grant  there  are  bond  fervants  who  are  made  fo,  and 
may  be  held  in  this  ilate,  confident  with  juilice,  hu¬ 
manity  and  benevolence.  They  are  fuch,  who  have 
forfeited  their  liberty  to  the  community  of  which  they 
are  members,  by  fome  particular  crimes,  and  by  debt, 
in  fome  inilances ;  and  are  for  this  condemned  to  fer- 
vitude  for  a  longer  or  fhorter  time,  and  fold  by  the  civil 
magiilrate.  And  perfons  may  put  themfelves  into  this 
date  bv  their  own  voluntary  a£t.  There  were  doubtlefs 

4  0 

fuch  in  the  Apoille’s  days  ;  and  if  mailer  and  fervant, 
in  this  cafe,  were  converted  to  Chriilianity,  the  fervant 
would  Hill  be  under  the  yoke,  and  the  Apoille’s  exhor¬ 
tation  highly  proper.  Therefore  if  every  mailer,  when 
he  embraced  Chriilianity,  was  obliged  to  free  all  his 
fervants  who  had  not  evidently  forfeited  their  liberty, 
and  not  one  who  refufed  to  do  this,  was  admitted  into 
a  Chriftian  church  ;  yet  there  might  be  many  mailers 
and  fervants  in  the  firil  Chriftian  churches :  And  the 
pafiages  of  feripture  under  confideration  prove  no  more 
than  this  :  And  therefore  will  not  juilify  any  mailer 
holding  one  fervant  in  bondage  againil  his  will,  fo  much 
as  an  hour,  who  has  not  evidently  brought  himfelf  into 
this  Hate  by  his  own  crimes,  and  been  adjudged  to  it, 
after  proper  trial,  by  the  civil  magiilrate.  Thefe  ferip- 
tures  therefore  are  infinitely  far  from  juilifying  the  fta- 
•  very  under  ponfideration  ;  for  it  cannot  be  made  'to  ap¬ 
pear  that  one  in  a  thoufand  of  thefe  ilaves  has  done  any 
thing  to  forfeit  his  own  liberty,  And  if  there  were 
any  fuch,  they  have  never  been  condemned  to  ilavery 
by  any  tv  ho  arc  proper  judges,  or  had  any  authority  to 
a£l  in  the  affair.  But  if  this  were  the  cafe  of  any,  thty 
certainly  cpuld  not  forfeit  the  liberty  of  their  children, 
and  caufe  them  to  be  born  ilaves. 

But  it  may  be  further  obferved,  that  it  might  be  dif- 


[  32  3 


iicult  in  many  cafes  at  that  day,  to  determine  What 
fervants  were  juitly  in  a  ftate  of  bondage,  and  who  had 
a  right  to  their  liberty  (which  is  not  the  cafe  writh  re- 
fpe£t  to  the  flaves  whofe  caufe  I  am  now  pleading). 
And  the  Apollles  did  not  think  it  their  bufinefs  to  ex¬ 
amine  into  every  inftanee  of  flavery,  and  find  the  ori¬ 
ginal  ground  of  it,  in  order  to  determine,  whether  the 
fervant  ought  to  be  fet  free  or  not ;  and  as  it  wras  taken 
for  granted  by  all,  or  moll,  that  the  flavery  which  then 
took  place  was  generally  juft  :  And  if  every  one  who 
embraced  Chriftianity,  and  had  (laves  mud  undergo  a 
ftritl  examination,  and  be  obliged  to  difmifs  his  fer¬ 
vants,  unlefs  he  could  produce  good  evidence  that  they 
had  forfeited  their  liberty  ;  this,  as  circumftances  then 
were,  would  have  greatly  prejudiced  the  world  againft 
the  Chriftian  religion  and  tended  to  retard  its  propaga¬ 
tion  :  I  fay,  confidering  all  thefe  things,  the  Apcftles 
might  be  dire&ed  not  to  intermeddle  in  this  affair,  fo 
far  as  to  enquire  into  every  inftanee  of  flavery,  whether 
it  was  juft  or  not ;  but  to  treat  it  as  if  it  were  fo,  unlefs 
there  were  particular,  poiitive  evidence  of  the  contrary 
in  any  inllances  ;  only  giving  general  rules  for  the  di¬ 
rection  and  conduct  of  mailers  and  fervants,  which,  if 
applied  and  put  into  practice,  would  net  only  render 
this  relation  comfortable,  where  it  ought  to  fubfift  :  but 
would  effect  the  liberty  of  all  the  iervants,  who  were 
evidently  reduced  to  that  ftate  unjunjv  ;  and  were 
Anted  to  put  an  end  to  flavery  in  general.  Thus  the 
Apoitle  Paul ,  fpeaking  to  mailers,  fays,  Majiers  give  un¬ 
to  sour  fervants  that  vohich  is  juft  and  equal* .  The  mailer 
who  conformed  to  this  rule,  mull  not  only  treat  his  fer¬ 
vants  with  equity,  in  all  inllances ;  but  muft  fet  at  li¬ 
berty  all  who  were  evidently  unjuftly  enflaved,  and 
therefore  had  a  right  to  their  freedom.  And  if  any 
Chriftian  mailer  refufed  to  do  this,  he  would  bring  upon 
him  the  cenfure  of  the  church,  for  difregarding  this 
Apoftolic  rulef*  And  the  lame  Apoftle  fays  to  the  fer- 


*  Col.  iv.  i. 


•f  2  ThelT.  ill.  6, 


[  3  -3  .  ] 

varrt,  If  thou  mayeji  be  made  free,  ufe  it  rather  $  ?  In 
thei'e  words  it  is  declared,  that  Havery  is,  in  itfelf  con- 
fidered,  undelirable,  and  a  calamity,  in  every  inllance  of 
it;  and  therefore  that  it  ought  to  be  avoided  and  abo- 
liihed,  as  far  as  poflibLe.  And  not  only  the  fervant  is 
warranted  and  commanded  to  defire  and  feck  to  be 
made  free  ;  but  the  mailer  is  alfo  implicitly  required  to 
fet  him  at  liberty,  if  there  be  no  infuperable  impedi¬ 
ment  in  the  way  y  for  if  the  fervant  ought  to  delire  and 
attempt  to  obtain  his  freedom,  the  mailer  -ought  to  defire 
it  alfo,  and  aflilt  him  to  obtain  it,  if  it  can  be  effedled  j 
and  will  do  it,  if  he  loves  his  fervant,  as  himfelf  :  And 
the  church  to  which  the  fervant  belongs,  and  every 
member  of  it,  ought  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  procure 
the  freedom  of  every  fuch  fervant  y  for  will  any  one  fay 
they  ought  not  to  do  their  utmoil  in  afllfting  their  poor 
fuffering  brother  to  obtain  his  liberty,  which  God  has. 
commanded  him  to-  defire  and  feek  ?  This  Apoftolic 
command  therefore,  being  properly  regarded,  would 
foon  put  an  end  to  moll  inllances  of  Havery  in  the  Chrif- 
tian  church,  if  it  did  not  wholly  abolilh  it  y  efpecially 
at  this  day,  when  many  of  the  impediments  in  the  way 
of  freeing  Haves,  which  were  in  the  Apollles  days,  are. 
removed.  And  it  may  be  left  to  the  conferences  of  all 
Have-holders  among  us,  whether-,,  if  it  had  been  left  to> 
them,  fuch  a  diredlion  and  command  would  ever  have 
been  given  to  any-  fervant  whatever,  as  is  here  given  by 
the  Apollle  ;  and  whether,  now  it  is  given,  they  ap¬ 
prove  of  it,  and  praflice  accordingly.  So  far  from  it,  « 
that  moll  of  them,  even  profeffin-g  ChriHians,  hold  their 
fervants  at  fuch  a  dillance,  and  treat  them.in  fuch  a  man¬ 
ner,  that  the  poor  fervant  dare  not  fo  muc  h  as  treat 
with  his  mailer  about  h  s  freedom';,  and  if  he  fhould 
fav  a  word,  is  pretty  fure  to  receive  nothing  .but  angry 
frowns,  if  not -blows.  And  if  any  one  undertakes  to- 
plead  the  caufe  of  thefe  opprefled  poor,  vvhofe  right  i3 
turned  afide  in  the  gate,  and  they  have  no  helper.,, he. 

C  2 

J  Cor.;  viU.  z  w 


I  J 


nmy  -expcfl  to  feel  the  refen tm on t  of  almoft  every  keeper 
of  Haves,  who  knows  him.  And  is  there  one  church*, 
now  in  this  land,  who  are  ready  to  do  what  is  in  their 
power  to  obtain  the  freedom  of  the  {laves  which  belong 
to  them  ;  or  are  willing  calmly  to  conlider  and  debate 
the  queftion  among  themfelves,  whether  it  be  right  to  k 
hold  the  Negroes  in  bondage  ?  Where  is  the  church 
that  has  done  any  thing  of  this  kind  *  ?  And  how  few 
churches  are  to  befound,  that  would  not  be  greatly  dif- 
turbed,  and  filled  with  refentment,  if  live  queftion  were 
ferioufly  propoled,  and  urged  to  be  confidered  ? 

Let  none  who  are  confciousy  all  this  is  true,  urge  the 
Apofcle  Pan?*  authority  in  favour  of  the  Have-keeping 
which  is  pradiifed  in  Britijb  America. 

But  to  return.  The  Apoftle  feems -to  have  conducted 
in  this  cafe,  as  he  did  in  that  of  civil  government.  He 
ccnlidered  this  as  a  divine  infti.tution,  and  pointed  out 
?he  end  and  defign  of  it,  and  the  duty  of  civil  rulers, 
and  of  the  fubjeft,  without  particularly  applying  it  to 
the  government  Chriftians  were  then  under,  fo  as  ex- 
prefslv  to  juftify  or  condemn  the  particular  firm  of 
government  that  then  took  place  ;  or  the  condudl  of 
thofe  who  then  had  the  civil  authority  in  their  hands; 
and  that  for  very,  obvious  reafons,  grounded  on  the  ftate 
and  circumftanees  cf  the  Church  and  of  public  affairs 
at  that  day.  We  may  as  well  infer  from  this,  that  the 
civil  governors  cf  that  day  were  not  nnjuft  and  tyran¬ 
nical,  which  is  moft  contrary  to  known  {aft,  as  we  can, 
that  the  ffavery  which  then  took  place  was  in  general 
juft  and  right,  from  his  pointing  out  the  duties  of  mai¬ 
lers  and  fervants,  without  mentioning  and. condemning 
any  particular  inftapees  cf  unjuft  Havery. 


*  Since  the  Sr  ft  edstioa  of  this.  Dialogue,  a  number  of  Churches 
i«r.  New- England,  bay.e .  firmed  themfelves  from  this  iniquity, 
and,  determined  not  to  tol_M  me  the  holding  at  the  Africans  in 
tlaycry.  If  ail  the  Churches  in  thefe  United  States  wt  u!d  come 
fhto  the  fame  rm  am  e,  and  imitate  the  Friends,  called  Quakers, 
in  this  article,  would  th?y  not  aft  oi-ie  like  Uhvifttau  Churches 
thq.a  they  new  do  ■' 


C_  35  ] 


A.  You  v/eil  obferved  that  .ths  apofties  did  not  inter¬ 
meddle  with  the  affair  ot  flavery,  To  as  to  condemn 
malters  for  holding  their  Haves  ;  or  tell  the  fervants 
their  mailers  had  no  right  to  keep  them  in  bondage  ; 
but  ought  to  free  them,  &:c .  I  wifh  all  were  as  wife 
and  prudent  now  ;  efpeci  lly  ininiilers  of  the  gofpel  : 
But  all  arc  not  fo.  Many  make  fiich  a  clamour  about 
holding  our  Negroes  in  bondage  ;  and  fome  minifters 
have  of  late  faid  fo  much  in  public  about  freeing  our 
Haves  ;  and  have  fo  inveighed  againft  the  African.^, ave- 
trade,  and  even  keeping  our  blacbs  in  flavery,  that  ma¬ 
ny  of  the  negroes  are  become  very  uneafv,  and  are 
much  more  engaged  to  obtain  their  liberty  than  they 
tiled  to  be. 

I. think,  if  any  thing.be  faid  on  this  fubjeft,  it  fhould 
be  in  private  ;  and  not  a  word  of  this  kind  ihould  be 
lifped  in  the  hearing  of  our  fervants ;  much  lefs  ought 
minifters  to  fay  any  thing  about  it  in  public  ;  left  the 
blacks  fhould  all  take  it  into  their  heads  that  they  are 
treated  hardly,  and.  never  be  eafy  till  they  are  fet  at 
liberty. 

B\ — ■  It  has  been  obferved,  there,  were  reafons,  pecu¬ 
liar  to  the  ftate  of  things  at  that  time,  wdiy  the  apoftles 
fhould  not  be  fo  particular  on  this  head  :  which  reafons 
do  not  take  place  now.  The  Havery  that  now  takes 
place  is  in  a  Chriftian  land,  and  without  the  exprefs 
fanblion  of  civil  government :  And  it. is. all  of  the  fame 
kind,  and  from  one  original  ;  which  is. moft  notoriously 
unjuft  ;and  if  it  be  unrighteous  in  one  inftance,  it  is  fo  in 
almoft  every  inftance  ;  and  the  anrighteoufnefs  o.f  it  is 
moft  apparent,  and  moft  mafters  have  no  colour  of  claim* 
to  hold  their  fervants  in  bondage.  And  th's  is  become 
a  general  and  crying  fin  ;  for  which  we  are  under  the- 
awful  frow  ns  of  Heaven.  Thefe  things,  which  make 
the  cafe  fo  different  from  the  flavery  which  took  place 
in  the  apt  file,  days  may  be  a  good  reajon  of  a  -different 
conduit  ;  and  make  it  duty  to  oppofe,  and  bear  tefti- 
mony,  both  in  public,  .and, more  piivately,  againft  this  . 


[  s«  3 


evil  practice,  which  is  fo  evidently  injurious  to  indivi¬ 
duals,  and  threatens  our  ruin  as  a  people.  . 

As  to  making  fervants  uneafy,  and  deflrous  of  liberty* 
See.  I  would  obferve,  that  moll  of  them  do  not  wane 
to  be  informed  that  they  are  greatly  injured  and  oppref- 
fed  ;  that  they  are  reduced  to  a  Hate  of  flavery,  without 
the lealt colour  of  juftlce.  They  have  fenfe  and  difeerning 
enough  to  be  fenfible  of  this,  without  being  told  ^  and 
they  think  much  of  it  almoit  every  day,  though  they 
are  obliged  to  keep  it  to  themfelves,  having-  none  eo  pity 
them,  or  fo  much  as  hear  their  complaints.  They  have 
a  thoufand  times  more  difeerning  and  fcnfibility  in  this’ 
cafe  than  their  mailers,  or  moft  others.  And  their  aver- 
fion  to  flavery,  and  defires  of  liberty,  are  inextinguilha-'- 
ble.  Therefore  their  hearing  it  aflerted  that  they 
ought  to  be  fet  at  liberty,  gives  them  no  new  light  and 
conviction,  except  it  be,  that  he  who  afierts  it,  has  fome 
difeerning  of  what  they  have  long  known,  and  moil  • 
fenfibly  felt;  and  has  courage  enough- to  aflert  that  in 
their  favour,,  which  they  have  long  felt  the  truth  of ;  . 
but  dared  not  fo  much  as  lifp  it  out. — But  if  by  this  - 
means  any  of  your  fervants  fnould  be  more  fully  con¬ 
vinced  of  their  right  to  liberty,  and  the  injuftice  done 
them  in  making,  them  flaves,  will  this  be  fuch  a  dread¬ 
ful  evil  ?  Would  you  deiire  they  ihould  be  held  in  ig¬ 
norance,  that  you  may  exercife  your  tyranny,  without 
oppofition  or  trouble  from  any  quarter  ?  As  reafona- 
bly  might*  Pharaoh  be  angry,  and  complain  of  Mofes  - 
and  Aaron ,  for  faying  a  word  to  thofe  whom  he  had  re¬ 
duced  to  flavery,  about"  their  cruel  bondage,  and  their  • 
obtaining  their  liberty. 

It  has  always  been  the  way  of  tyrants  to  take  great 
pains  to  keep'  their  vaflals  in  ignorance,  specially  to 
hide  from  them  the.  tyranny  and  oppreflion  of  which, 
they  are  the.fubjefts,.  Andd'or  this  reafon  they  are  ene¬ 
mies  to  the  liberty  of  the  prefs*  and  are  greatly  pro¬ 
voked  when  their  conduCl  is  let  in  a  true  light  before 
the  public,,  and  the  unrighteoufnefs  they  praChife,  pro¬ 
perly  expofed.  The  complaint  we  arc.novv  canfidering^ 


f  37  ] 


items  to  be  of  the  fame  kind  with  this,  and  well  be¬ 
comes  all  thofe  petty  tyrants,  who  have  Haves  in  their 
poiTefiion,  which  they  are  confcious  they  cannot  vindi¬ 
cate,  but  the  unrighteoufnefs  will  be  detected,  if  free 
enquiry  and  freedom  of  fpeech  cannot  fee  fuppreHed. 
And  this  complaint  is  of  the  fame  kind  with  the  con¬ 
duct  of  the  mailers  of  flaves  in  the  Weji- Indies,  in  op- 
poling  their  being  taught  any  thing  of  chriffianity  ; 
becaufe  they  know  every  gleam  of  this  light  carries  a 
difcovery  of  the  unrighteoufnefs  of  the  treatment  they 
receive. 

The  prefent  lituation  of  our  public  affairs,  and  our 
ftruggle  for  liberty,  and  the  abundant  converfation  this 
occafions  in  all  companies  ;  while  the  poor  Negroes 
looks  on,  and  hear  what  an  averfion  we  have  to  Haver;/, 
and  how  much  liberty  is  prized  ;  they  often  hearing  it 
declared  publicly  and  in  private,  as  the  voice  of  all, 
that  Havery  is  more  to  be  dreaded  than  death,  and  we 
are  refolved  to  live  free  or  die,  See..  See.  This,  I  fay, 
neceffarily  leads  them  to  attend  to  their  own  wretched 
Situation,  more  than  otherwife  they  could.  They  fee 
themfelves  deprived  of  all  liberty  and  property, 
and  their  children  after  them,  to  the  Iateff  poflerity, 
iubje&ed  to  the  will  of  thofe  who  appear  to  have  no 
feeling  for  their  m fiery,  and  are  guilty  of  many  in- 
itances  of  hard  heartednefs  and  cruelty  towards  them, 
while  they  think  themfelves  very  kird  ;  and  therefore 
to  make  the  leall  complaint,  would  be  deemed  the 
height  of  arrogance  and  abufe  :  And  often,  if  they  havn 
a  comparatively  good  mailer  now,  with  conltant  dread, 
they  fee  a  young  one  growing  up,  who  bids  fair  to  rule 
over  them,  or  their  children,  with  rigour. 

They  fee  the  Havery  the  Americans  dread  as  worfe 
than  death,  is  lighter  than  a  feather,  compared  to  their 
heavy  doom  ;  and  may  be  called  liberty  and  happincls, 
when  contralled  with  the  moil  abject  Havery  and  un¬ 
utterable  wretchednefs  to  which  they  are  fubje&ed..  H 
And  in  this  dark  and  dreadful  Situation,  they  look 
round,  and  find  none  to  helo — no  pitv-*-ho  hcoe  r 

D 


t  3 

And  when  they  obferve  all  this  cry  and  flrugglc  for  li¬ 
berty  for  ourfelves  and  children  ;  and  fee  themfelvesand 
.their  children  wholly  overlook-ed  by  us,  and  behold  the 
fans  of  liberty ,  opprefling  and  tyrannizing  over  many 
thoufands  of  poor  blacks,  who  have  as  good  a  claim  to 
liberty  as  themfelves,  they  are  fhocked  with  the  glaring 
inconflftence,  and  wonder  they  themfelves  do  not  fee 
it.  You  nmft  not  therefore  lay  it  to  the  few  who  are 
pleading  the  caufe  of  thefe  friendlefs  diftreffed  poor, 
that  they  are  more  uneafy  than  they  .u fed  to  be,  in  a 
fenfe  of  their  wretched  Hate,  and  from  a  defire  of  liber¬ 
ty  ;  there  is  a  more  mighty  and  irrefiftable  caufe  than 
this,  viz.  all  that  pafles  before  them  in  our  public 
ftruggle  for  liberty. 

And  why  fltould  the  mkiifters  of  the  gofpel  hold 
their  peace,  and  not  teftify  again!!  this  great  and  public 
iniquity,  which  we  have  reafon  to  think,  Is  one  great 
caufe  of  the  public  calanrties  we  are  now7  under  ?  How 
can  they  refute  to  plead  the  caufe  of  thefe  opprefled 
poor,  againfl  the  cruel  opprefl'or  ?  They  are  com¬ 
manded  to  lift  up  their  voice,  and  cry  aloud, 
and  fhew  the  people  their  fins,  &c.  Have  w7e  not  rea¬ 
fon  to  fear  many  of  them  have  offended  Heaven  by 
their  fllence,  through  fear  of  the  mailers,  who  Hand 
ready  to  make  war  againfl  anyone  who  attempts  to  de¬ 
prive  them  of  their  ilaves;  or  bccaufe  they  themfelves 
have  Haves,  w'hich  they  are  not  willing  to  give  up  ? 

Might  they  not  fully  expofe  this  iniquity,  and  bear 
a  conilant  teflimony  againfl  it,  in  fuch  a  manner  as 
would  have  no  tendency  to  influence  our  fervants  to 
behave  ill  in  any  refpeCl  ;  by  giving  them  at  the  fame 
time  proper  cautions  and  directions? 

A,  It  is  impoflible  to  free  all  our  Negroes  ;  efpecially 
'  at  once,  and  in  prefer.t  circumflances,  without  injuring 

them,  at  leail,  many  of  them,  and  the  public  to  a  great 
degree.  Why  then  is  this  urged  fo  vehemently  no- zv  ? 

J  think  this  proceeds  from  a  zeal,  not  according  to 
knowledge. 

B.  If  it  be  not  a  fin,  an  open  flagrant  violation  of  all 
the  rules  of  juflice  and  humanity,  to  hold  thefe  flaves 


[  39-  f 

in  bondage,  it  is  indeed  folly  to  put  ourfelves  to  any 
trouble  and  expence,  in  order  to  free  them.  But  if  the 
contrary  be  true;  if  it  be  a  fin  of  a  crimfon  dye,  which, 
is  moll  particularly  pointed  out  by  the  public  calami¬ 
ties  which  have  come  upon  us,  from  which  we  have  no 
reafon  to  expedl  deliverance  till  we  put  away  the  evil 
of  our  doings,  this  reformation  cannot  be  urged  with  too 
much  zeal,  nor  attempted  too  foon,  whatever  difficulties- 
?.re  in  the  way.  The  more  and  greater  thefe  are,  the 
more  zealous  and  adlive  ihould  we  be  in  removing  them. 
You  had  need  to  take  care,  leilfrom  felfifh  motives,  and 
a  backwardnefs  to  give  up  what  you  unrighteoufly  re¬ 
tain,  you  are  joining  with  the  flothful  man  to  cry, 
there  is  a  lion  in  the  *ivaj  !  A  lion  is  in  the  ft  rests *  / 
While  there  is  no  infurmountable  difficulty,  but  that- 
which  lies  in  your  own  heart. 

No  wonder  there  are  many  and  great  difficulties  in 
reforming  an  evil  practice  of  this  kind,  which  has  got 
fach  deep  root  by  length  of  time,  and  is  become  Co-' 
common.  Bat  it  does  not  yet  -appear  that  they  cannot 
be  removed,  by  the  united  wisdom  and  ilrength  of  the 
American  colonics,  without  any  injury  to  the  flaves,  or 
difadvantage  to  the  public.  Yea,  the  contrary  is  moil 
certain,  as  the  Haves  cannot  be  put  into  a  more  wretched 
ittuation,  ourfelves  being  judges,  and  the  community 
cannot  take  a  more  likoly  Hep  to  eicape  ruin,  and  ob¬ 
tain  the  1  miles  and  protection* of  Heaven.  This  matter  \ 
ought  doubtids  to  be  attended  toby  the  General  AfTem-' 
blics,  and  Continental  and  Provincial  Congreffies  ;  and 
i;  they  were  as  much  united  and  engaged  in  deviling 
ways  and  means  to  fet  at  liberty  thefe  injured  Have*,' 
as  they  are  to  defend  themfelvcs  from  tyranny,  it  would 
foon  be  effected.  There  were  without  doubt  many 
difficulties  and  impediments  in  the  way  of  the  'Je<vss ' 
liberating  thole  of  their  brethren  they  had  brought  in¬ 
to  bondage,  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah.  But  when  they 
were  behrged  by  the  Chaldeans ,  and  this-  their  fin  was- 

*  Prov.  xxtrh  1 1,- 


r  4°  ] 

laid  be  fere  them,  and  they  were  threatened  with  defe¬ 
cation  if  they  did  not  reform  :  They  broke  through 
every  difficulty,  and  fet  their  fervants  at  liberty. 

And  how  great  mull  have  been  the  impediments, 
how  many  the  Teeming  unanfwerable  objections,  againft 
reforming  that  grofs  violation  of  the  divine  command  in 
E2ras  time,  by  their  marrying  ftrange  wives,  of  which 
fo  many  of  the  Jews  were  guilty,  and  the  hand  of  the 
princes  and  rulers  had  been  chief  in  this  trefpafs  !  Yet 
the  pious  zeal  of  Ezra  and  thofe  who  joined  with  him, 
and  their  wifdom  and  indefatigable  efforts  conquered 
every  cbftacle,  and  brought  them  to  a  thorough  refor¬ 
mation.  Would  not  the  like  zeal,  wifdom  and  refo- 
lution,  think  you,  foon  produce  a  reformation  of  this 
much  greater  abomination,  by  finding  out  an  effectual 
method  to  put  away  all  our  flaves  ?  Surely  we  have  no 
reafon  to  conclude  it  cannot  be  done,  till  we  fee  a  fuii- 
able  Zealand  refolution,  among  all  orders  of  men,  and 
anfwerable  attempts  are  thoroughly  made. 

Lot  this  iniquity  be  viewed  in  it’s  true  magnitude, 
and  in  the  /hocking  light  in  which  it  has  been  fet  in 
this  converfation  let  the  wretched  cafe  of  the  poor 
blacks  be  confidered  with  proper  pity  and  benevolence  ; 
together  with  the  probable  dreadful  confequence  to 
this  land,  of  retaining  them  in  bondage,  and  all  objec¬ 
tions  againft  liberating  them  would  vanifh.  The 
mountains  that  are  now  raifed  up  in  the  imagination 
©f  many,  would  become  a  plain,  and  every  difficulty 
fiurmounted. 

Pharoah  and  the  Egyptians ,  could  not  bear  to  think  of 
letting  the  Hebrews  go  out  free  from  the  bondage  to 
which  they  had  reduced  them  ;  and,  it  may  be  pre¬ 
fumed,  they  had  as  many  weighty  objections  againft  it, 
as  can  be  thought  of  againft  freeing  the  /laves  among 
us.  Yet  they  were  at  length  brought  to  drop  them  all, 
and  willing  to  fend  them  out  free  ;  and  to  be  ready  to 
part  with  any  thing  they  had,  ia  order  to  promote  it  *.• 


*  It  may  be  well  worthy  our  fe^ious  conffderati©**  whether 


r  41-  ] 

If  many  thoufands  of  our  children  were  Haves  in  Al¬ 
giers  or  any  parts  of  the  Turkijb  dominions,  and  there 
were  but  few  families  in  the  American  colonies  that  had 
not  fome  child,  or  near  relation  in  that  fad  Hate,  with¬ 
out  any  hope  of  freedom  to  them,  or  their  children,  un- 
lefs  there  were  fome  very  extraordinary  exertion  of  the 
colonies  to  effiedl  it  ;  how  would  the  attention  of  all  the 
country  be  turned  to  it  !  How  greatly  (hould  we  be  af- 
fefted  with  it !  Would  it  not  become  the  chief  topic  of 
converfation  ?  Would  any  coll  or  labour  be  fpared,or 
any  difficulty  or  hazard  be  too  great  to  go  through,  in 
erder  to  obtain  their  freedom  ?  If  there  were  no  great¬ 
er  difficulties  than  there  are  in  the  cafe  before  us;  yea, 
if  they  were  ten  times  greater,  would  they  not  be  loon 
furmounted,  as  very  inconfiderable  !  I  know  you,  Sir, 
and  every  one  elle,  mufl  anfwcr  in  the  affirmative,  with¬ 
out  hefitation.  And  why  arc  we  not  as  much  aifedled 
with  the  flavery  of  the  many  thoufands  of  blacks  among 
ourfelves,  whofe  miferable  Hate  is  before  our  eyes  ? 
And  why  fhould  we  not  be  as  much  engaged 
to  relieve  them  ?  The  realon  is  obvious.  ’Tis 
becaufe  they  are  Negroes,  and  fit  for  nothing  but  Haves  ; 
and  we  have  been  uled  to  look  on  them  in  a  mean  con¬ 
temptible  light  ;  and  our  education  has  filled  us  with 
ftrong  prejudices  againll  them,  and  led  us  to  confider 
them,  not  as  our  brethren,  or  in  any  degree  on  a  level 
with  us  ;  but  as  quite  another  fpccies  of  animals,  made 
only  to  ferve  us  and  our  children  ;  and  as  happy  in 
bondage,  as  in  any  other  Hate.  This  has  banifhed  all 
attention  to  the  injuHice  that  is  done  them,  and  any  pro¬ 
per  fenfe  of  their  mifery,  or  the  exercife  of  benevolence 
towards  them.  If  we  could  only  divell  ourfelves  of 
thele  Hrong  prejudices,  which  have  infenfibly  fixed  on 

have  not  veafon  to  fear  the  hand  of  God,  which  is  now  ftretched 
out  againrt  us,  will  lie  upon  us,  and  the  ftrokes  grow  heavier, 
unlefs  we  reform  this  iniquity,  fo  clearly  pointed  out  by  the  par¬ 
ticular  manner  in  which  God  is  correcting  us  ;  and  whether  we 
have  any  reafon  to  hope  or  pray  for  deliverance,  till  this  refor¬ 
mation  takes  place. 


f  4*  J1 

our  minds,  and  confider  them  as,  by  nature,  and  by- 
right,  on  a  level  with  our  brethren  and  children,  and 
thofe  cf  our  neighbours,  and  that  benevolence,  which 
loves  our  neighbour  as  ourfelves,  and  is  agreeable  to 
truth  and  righteoufnefs,  we  fhould  begin  to  feel  towards 
them,  in  fome  meafure  at  leaft,  as  we  fhould  towards 
our  children  and  neighbours  in  the  cafe  above  iuppofed, 
and  be  as  much  engaged  for  their  relief. 

If  parents  have  a  fon  preiTed  on  board  a  King’s  ihip, 
how  greatly  are  they  afiefled  with  it  !  They  are  hiicd 
with  grief  and  diftrefs,  and  will  chcarfully  beat  alraoft; 
any  coil  and  pains  to  procure  his  liberty  :  and  we  won¬ 
der  not  at  it,  but  think  their  exercifes  and  engagednefs 
for  his  deliverance  very  juft,  and  (laud  ready  to  condemn 
him  who  has  no  feeling  for  them  and  their  fon,  and  is 
not  ready  to  afford  all  the  afliftance  in  his  power,  in  or¬ 
der  to  recover  him.  At  the  fame  time  we  behold  vail 
numbers  of  blacks  among  us,  torn  from  their  native 
eo smy,  and  all  their  relations,  not  to  ferve  on  board  a 
man  of  war  for  a  few  years,  but  to  be  abjeft,  defpifed 
Haves  for  life,  and  their  children  after  them  ;  and  yet 
have  not  the  leaft  feelings  for  them,  or  deftre  cf  their 
freedom  !  Thcfe  very  parents  perhaps,  have  a  number 
cf  Negro  Haves,  on  whom  they  have  not  the  leaft  pity  ; 
and  ftar»d  ready  highly  to  relent  it,  if  any  one  efpoufes 
their  cauie  fo  much  as  to  propefe  they  fhould  be  let  at 
liberty.  What  reafon  for  this  partiality  ?  Ought  this 
fo  to  be  ?  An  impartial  perfon,  who  is  net  under  the  pre¬ 
judices  of  intereft,  education  and  cuftom,  is  blocked 
with  it  beyond  all  exprefSon.  The  poor  Negroes  have 
fenle  esough  to  lee  and  feel  it,  but  have  no  end  to 
fpeak-  a  word  for  them  ;  none  to  whom  they  may  com¬ 
plain. 

It  has  been  obferved,  that  if  the  General  Aftemblies, 
&c.  ofthefe  American  colonies,  would  take  this  matter 
in  hand  in  earneft,  with  a  concern  and  reicletion  an- 
fwerable  to  its  real  importance  y  and  the  whole  com¬ 
munity  were  properly  dilpofed  and  engaged,  the  free¬ 
dom  of  the  Haves  among  us  might  foon  be  dktteu, 


t  43  3 

without  injury  to  the  public,  or  thofe  who  fhall  be  fet 
at  liberty  ;  but  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  both.  But 
if  this  fhould  be  neglected,  will  it  excufe  individual's 
who  have  flaves,  in  their  continuing  to  hold  them  in 
bondage  ?  I  think  not.  If  you,  Sir,  had  as  many  chil¬ 
dren  in  11  a  very  at  Algiers ,  as  you  have  African  flaves  in 
your  houfe,  would  you  take  no  pains,  and  devife  no 
-method  to  obtain  their  liberty,  till  the  public  Ihould 
■make  fome  provifion  for  the  emancipation  of  all  flaves 
there  ?  If  any  opportunity  fhould  prefent,  to  obtain  their 
liberty,  would  you  not  greedily  embrace  it,  though  at 
much  hazard  and  ex.pence  ?  And  if  their  mailer  fhould 
refufe  to  let  them  go  free,  till  there  was  a  general  eman¬ 
cipation  of  the  (Thrift  ian  flaves  in  that  country.,  would 
you  juftify  him  as  acting  a  proper,  humane,  and  bene¬ 
volent  part  ?  I  trow  not.  How  then  can  you  excufe 
yourfelf,  and  deliver  your  own  foul,  while  you  have  no 
companion  for  thefe  black  children  in  your  houfe,  and 
lefufe  to  break  the  yoke,  the  galling  yoke,  from  off* their 
necks,  becaufe  your  neighbours  will  not  be  fo  juft  and 
humane  to  tlieirs  ! 

Some  mafters  fay,  they  will  give  up  their  flaves,  if  all 
mafters  will  do  the  fame  ;  but  feem  to  think  they  are 
excufed  from  fetting  their’s  free,  fo  long  as  there  is  not 
a  general  manumiftion.  What  has  juft  been  obferved 
is  fuited,  I  think,  to  fhew  the  inefficiency  of  this  ex¬ 
cufe.  Befides,  if  you  define  to  have  all  osr  flaves  freed, 
why  do  you  not  fet  an  example,  by  liberating  your 
own  ?  This  might  influence  others  to  do  the  fame  j 
and  then  you  might,  with  a  good  grace,  plead  the  caufe 
of  thefe  poor  Africans .  Whereas,  while  you  retain  your 
own  flaves,  your  mouth  is  flopped,  and  your  example 
ferves  to  ftrengthen  others,  and  keep  them  in  coun¬ 
tenance,  while  they  p radii ie  this  abominable  oppreffion. 

A.  My  fervants  have  coft  me  a  great  deal  of  money, 
and  it  is  not  reafonablc  I  fhould  lofe  all  that.  If  the 
public  will  indemnify  me,  and  pay  me  what  my  fer¬ 
vants  are  worth,  I  am  willing  to  free  them  ;  and  none 
can  reafonably  defire  to  do  it,  on  any  other  confidcration. 

B.  If  your  neighbour  buys  a  horfe,  or  any  bcaft,  of 


,r  ,  <  n 

i  44  J 

£ 'thief  who  dole  it  from  you,  while  he  had  no  thought 
that  it  was  itolen,  would  you  not  think  you  had  a  right 
to  demand  your  horfe  of  your  neighbour,  and  pronounce 
him  very  unjuft,  if  he  Ihould  refufe  to  deliver  him  to 
you,  tiil  he  had  received  the  whole  fum  he  had  given 
for  him  ?  And  have  not  your  fervants  as  great  a  right  to 
themielves,  to  their  liberty,  as  you  have  to  your  llolen 
horfe?  They  have  been  ftolen  and  fold,  and  you  have 
bought  them,  in  your  own  wrong,  when  you  had  much 
more  realon  to  think  they  were  ftolen,  than  he  who 
bought  your  horfe  had  to  miftruft  he  was  trading  with 
a  thief.  Though  your  horfe  has  palled  through  many 
hands,  and  been  fold  ten  times,  you  think  you  have  a 
right  to  demand  and  take  him,  in  whofe  foever  hands 
you  find  him,  without  refunding  a  farthing  of  what  he 
coft  him  ;  and  yet,  though  your  Negroes  can  prove  their 
right  to  themfelves,  and  conftantly  make  a  demand  up- 
•n  you  to  deliver  them  up,  you  refufe  till  they  pay  the 
full  price  you  gave  for  them,  becaufe  the  civil  law  will 

not  oblige  you  to  doit.- - 'Thou  -Hypocrite  ! - 

Luke  xiii.  15. 

Had  you  not  been  amazingly  inconfiderate  and  ftupid, 
you  would  have  concluded  thele  men  were  ftolen  ;  and 
known  that  no  man  had  a  right  to  fell  them,  or  you  to 
buy  them  :  And  muft  they  be  for  ever  deprived  ol  their 
right,  which  is  worth  more  to  them,  than  all  you  pof- 
fels,  becaufe  you  have  been  fo  foolilh  and  wicked  as  to 
buy  them,  and  no  one  appears  to  prevent  your  lofing 
by  the  bargain  f  You  would  do  well  to  eonfider  the  aw¬ 
ful  denunciation  by  ‘Jeremiah.  Woe  unto  him  that 
buildeth  his  houfe  by  unrighteo ufnefs ,  and  his  chambers  by 
■wrong  ;  that  ufeth  his  neighbour  s  fer~oice  without  wages, 
and  gin:  eth  him  not  for  his  work  !  He  who  refufes  to  free 
his  Negroes,  that  he  may  fave  his  money,  and  lay  it  up 
for  his  children,  and  retains  his  Haves  lor  them  to  ty¬ 
rannize  over,  leaves  them  but  a  miferable  inheritance — 
infinitely  vvorfe  than  nothing  ! 

Eefides,  if  indifferent  perfons  were  to  judge,  it  would 
doubtlefs  be  found  that  many  of  your  iervant?,  il  r.oc 


I  4F  J 

a*f,  have  much  marc  than  earned  what  they  colt  you 
feme  of  them  double  and  treble,  yea,  centimes  as  much  j 
and  in  this  view,  you  ought  to  let  them  go  out  free  ;  and 
not  fend  them  away  empty  ;  but  furnilh  them  liberally 
out  of  your  ftore,  agreeable  to  the  divine  command 
they  haying  a  much  better  right  to  part  of  your  eftatc, 
tiian  your  children, and,  it' may  be,  much  more  likely 
to  make  a  good  improvement  of  it. 

A .  You  fpeak  of  {Servants  earning  fo  much  ;  but  for 
my  part,  I  think  not  fo  much  of  this.  Mine  have  ne¬ 
ver  been  much  profit  to  me,  and  moll  of  them  do  noi: 
pay  for  their  victuals  and  deaths,  but  are  coiuiantly. 
funning  in  debt. 

B.  The  matter  is  not  a  proper  judge  in  this  cafe.  How- 
common  is  it  for  men  who  hire  others,  to  complain  that 
the  labourers  do  not  earn  the  wages  they  give;  and 
that  they  are  continually  lefing  by  all  the  labour  they 
hire  ?  And  if  it  were-  wholly  left  to  him  who  hires 
what  wages  he  fhould  give  the  labourer,  and  he  wras  ac¬ 
countable  to  none,  how  foon  would  his  hire  be  reduced 
to  little  or  nothing-  The  lordly  felfifh  employer  would1 
foon  find  out  that  his  labourers  hardly  earned  the  food 
he  was  obliged  to  find  them.  Let  your  urdnterefted,  ju¬ 
dicious/  neighbours,  judge  between  you  and  your  fer- 
vants  in  this  matter,  and  we  will  give  credit  to  their 
verdidt.  And  fuicly  you  have  no  reafon  to  expect  we 
will  rely  on  yours,  as  you  feem  ndt  really  to  believe  it 
yo^felf,  fince  it  looks  like  a  contradiction  to  your  own 
declaration  and  practice.  dor  you  have  been  fpcaking  . 
of  your  fervants  as  of  as  much  worth  to  you,  at  kail,  as 
their  firft  colt,  and  reprefented  it  as  giving  up  your  in- 
tereit,  if  you  fhould  free  them  wi  thout  a  compenfation. 
Whereas,  if  what  you  now  fay  be  true,  you  will  lofe 
nothing,  by  freeing  them  immediately ;  but  rather  get 
rrd  ot  a  burden  now  on  your  hands.  And  if  this  be 
true,  why  do  you  not  free  them  without  delay  ?  Your 
holding  them  in  flavery,  is  a  practical  contradiction  to 
what  you  have  now  fuggeited. 

I  g»aat,  what  is  evident  to  all  the  difccrnlrg  who  a:- 

U  * 


[  4.6  ] 


tend  to  it,  that  the  introdu&ion  of  fuch  a  number  of 
ilaves  among  us  is  a  public  detriment*  an  injury  to  the 
commonwealth  ;  and  therefore,  in  this  view,  the  prac¬ 
tice  ought  by  all  means  to  be  difeouraged  and  abolifhed 
by  our  legiflators  :  This,  however,  is  confident  with  in¬ 
dividuals  getting  eftates  by  the  labour  of  their  flaves-j 
and  that  they  are  in  fad,  in  ipany  inftances,  very  pro¬ 
fitable  to  their  owners,  none  can  deny.  And  if  this 
was  not  fo,  I  fhould  be  very  certain  of  obtaining  what 
I  am  pleading  for,  even  a  general  manumiffion. 

A.  You  have  repeatedly  fpobe  of  our  flaves  being 
hardly  treated  and;  abufed-  There  may  perhaps  be 
fome  inilances  of  this  among  us ;  but  I  believe  they 
are  generally  treated  very  well,  and  many  of  them  much 
better  than  they  deferve-  My  fervants,  I  am  fare,  have 
no  reafon  to  complain  ;  they,  live  as  well  as  ldo  myfeif, 
and  in  many  refpeds  much  better. 

B.  We  will  take  it  for  granted,  for  once,  that  all  yon 
have  laid  is  .true  and  that  your  flaves.  are  treated  as 
well  as  drey  can  be,  while  they  are  held  in  a  date  of 


ilavery.  But  will  this  atone  for  your  making  them  your 
Ilaves,  and  taking  from  them  that  which  it  better  to  them 
than  not  only  the.  belt  living,  but  all  the  riches  on  earth, 
-and- is  as  much,  to  be  prized  as  life,  it  lei  f,  thilir  ll- 
hSRT-y  ?  As. well,  yea,  with  much  more  re®. fun,  may 
a.  highway-robber,  tell  a  gentleman  from  whom  he  h .vs 
taken  all  his  money,  he  has  no  reaion  to  complain,  finte 
he  had  fpaved  his  life,  which  was  at  his  mercy,  nor  had 
wounded: him,. or  flripperf  him  of  his  cloaths  ;  and  gp 
away  pleafed;  with -the  thought  that  he  had  .treated  htru 
-with  great kindnefs  and  generofuy.. 

If  a  rufHan  ill o u  1  cl  feize,  ravifh  and.  carry  cit  a  your.g 
virgin  from  aibher  relations -and  friends,  . in  to  fome  lona=- 
ly  care  in  the  wildernefs  ;  and  when  he  got.  full  pof- 
feflicn.  of  her  there,  fbodld.  treat  her  with  great  kindnefs*. 
providing  i or  her  every,  neceh'ary  and  comfort  fhe.couwl 
hr.?e  in, that .  Gtuation.  And  when  he  was  told  of  his 
violence  and  cruelty,  and  urged  to.  redone  her  to  her 
former  liberty  y,  he  fhouid  r-etufe  to  re  kale  her,  and  to 
j  unify  himfclf,  ah  edge  Ids  -kind  treatment  of  her,  that 


r  47  j 

fhe  had  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and  lived  better  than 
himfelf,  Sec.  Would  not  this  be  fo  far  from  j  unifying 
him  in  the  light  of  the  world,  or  being  the  lead  excufe 
for  his  barbarous  treatment  of  her,  that  his  offering  it  as 
fuch,  would  be  confidered  as  a  driking  evidence  of  his 
ftupidity,  and  that  he  was  an  unfeeling,  inhumane 
wretch  ?  Whether  fuch  an  indance  is  in  any  meafure 
applicable  to  the  cafe  before  us,  I  leave  you  to  judge. 

But  I  mud  now  afk  leave  to  take  back,  what  was  juft 
now  granted;  and  obfarve,  that  you  are  not  a  proper 
judge  of  your  treatment  of  your  flaves;  and  that  you 
may  think  you- treat  them  very  well,  in  fonre  indances 
at  lead,  if  not  in  a  condant  way,  they  juflly  think  them- 
felves  ufed  very  hardly,  being  really  fubjeeded  to  many 
hardfhips,  which  you  would  very  fenfibly  feel  and  re- 
fent,  if  you  were  in  their  place,  or  fhould  fee  one  of 
your  children  a  (Lave  in  Algiers  treated  lo  by  Ins  matter. 
There  are  but  few, matters  of  flaves,  I  believe,  who  do 
notrufe  then?  in  a  hard,  unreafonable  manner,  in  fome 
indances  ar  lead  ;  and  mod  do  fo  in  a  condant -way  ; 
fo  that-  an  impartial,  attentive  by-dander  will  be  {hock¬ 
ed  with  it,  while  the  matter  is-wholly  infenfible  of  any 
wrong.  They  who  from  us  have  vifned  the  Weft-Indie^ 
have  beheld  hew-  fer-vants  are  ufed  by  their  matters 
there,  with  a  degree  of  horror,  and  pronounced  them 
very  unreafonable  and  barbarous  ;  while  the  matter, 
and  perhaps  his  ether  domedics  have  thought  they 
were  uled  well,  being  acc.u domed'  to  fuch  u-lage*  and 
never  once  reflecting  that  thefe  blacks  were  in  any  fenffi 
on  a  level  with  theinfclves,  or  that  they  have  the  lead 
right  to  the  treatment  whit* .people  may  reasonably  ex- 
peebo'-  one  another  ;.and  being  habituated  to  view  th'efe 
flaves  more  beneath:  t lie rn (elves,  than  the  very  beads 
really  arc.  And  are  we  not,  moil  of  usy  educated  in 
thefe  prejudices,,  and  led  to  ’'lew  the  ilaves- among  us, 
m  fuch  a  mean,  d  dpi  cable  light,  as  not  to  be  fenfible 
of  the  abufes  they  ft; flier  ;  when',  if  we  or  our  children 
fhould  receive  fuch  treatment,  from  any  of  our  fellow 
mum,  it  would  appear,  terrible  in  our  fight?  The  Turks 


[  4?  J 

arc  by  education  and  caflom,  taught  to  view  the  Chrif* 
tian  flaves  among  them  fo  mucli  beneath  themfeives,  • 
and  in  fuch  an  odious  light,  that  while  they  are  treating 
our  brethren  and  children,  we  being  judges,!  n  the  moil 
unreafonable  and  cruel  manner,  they  have  not  one 
thought  that  they  injure  them  in  thedeafl  degree. 

Are  you  fare  your  flaves  have  a  fufficiency  of  good 
food,  in  feafon  ;  and  that  they  never  want  for  comfort¬ 
able  cloathing  and  bedding  ?  Do  you  take  great  care  to 
dealas  well  by  them  in  thefe  things,  as  you  would  wifh 
others  would  treat  your  own  children,  were  they  haves-  • 
in  a  flrange  land  ?  It  your  fervants  complain,  are  you 
ready  to  attend  to  them  ?  Or  do  you  in  fuch  cafes' frown 
upon  them,  or  do  l’omething  vvorfe,  fo  as  to  difconrage. 
their  ever  applying  to  you,  whatever  they  may  fuffer, 
having  learned  that  this  would  only  be  making  bad- 
worfe  ?  Do  you  never  fly  into  a  pafnon,  and  deal  with  • 
them  in  great  anger,  deciding  matters  refpe&ing  them,- 
and  threatening  them,  and  giving  fentence  concerning 
them,  from  which  they  have  no  appeal,  and  perhaps' 
proceed  to  correfr  them,  when  to  a  calm  by-llander 
you  appear  more  fit  to  be  confined  in  Bedlam,  than 
have  che  fovereign,  uncontrouhble  dominion  over  your' 
brethren,  as  the  foie  lawgiver,  judge,  and  executioner  ? 
Do  not  even  your  children  domineer  over  your  flave3  ? 
Mull  they  not  often  be  at  the  beck  of  an  ungoverned, 
peevifh  child  in  the  family  ;  and  if  they  do  not  run  at 
his  or  her  call,  and  are  not  allfubmiflion  and  obedience, 
mud  they  not  expeft  the  frowns  of  their  mailers,  if  not 
the  whip  ? 

If  none  of  thefe  things,,  my  good  Sir,  take  place  in  • 
your  family,  have  we  not  reafon  to  think  you  almoil -a--- 
frngular  inllance  ?  How  common  are  things  of  this  • 
kind,  or  worfe,  taking  place  between  mallets  and  their 
Saves  ?  Ir>  how  few  intrances,  if  in  any,  are  Haves 
treated  as  the  mailers  would  wiih  to  have  their  own  chil¬ 
dren  treated,  in  like  circum fiances  ?  How  few  are  fit 
to  be  mafters  ?  To  have  the  fovereign  dominion  over  a -* 
number  of  their  fellow  men,  being  his  property,  and  1 


I  49  3 

wholly  at  his  difpofal ;  who  mu  ft  abide  his  fentenee  and 
orders,  however  unreasonable,  without  any  poflibility 
of  relief? 

A.  I  believe  my  Haves  are  fo  far  from  thinking  them- 
felves  abufedj  or  being  in  the  leaft  uneafy  in  a  Hate  of 
11  a  very,  that  they  have  no  defire  to  be  made  free;  and 
if  their  freedom  were  offered  to  them,  they  would  rer 
fufe  to  accept  it. 

B.  1  mull  take  leave  to  call  this  in  queflion,  Sir  ; 
and  I. think  you  believe  it,  in  contradiction  to  all  rea- 
fon,  and  the  flrongeft  feelings  of  human  mture,  till  they 
have  declared  it  themfelves,  having  had  opportunity  for 
due  deliberation,  and  being  in  cire.um  fiances  to  aC\ 
freely,  without  the  1  ea(l  conftraint,  or  fear. 

There  are  many  mailers  (if  we  believe  what  they 
fay)  who  pleafe  themfelves  with  this  fond  opinion  of 
their  goodnefs  to  their  Hives ;  and  their  choice  of  a  Hate 
of  flavery,  in  preference  to  freedom,  without  the  leaft 
f  oundation,  and  while  the  contrary  is  known  to  be  true 
by  all  who  are  acquainted  with  their  flav 
really  believe  this,  they  by  it  only  difeover  great  infen- 
libility,  and  want  of  proper  reflection.  They  have  not 
fo  much  as, put  themfelves  in  the  place  of  their  Haves,  lb. 
as  properly  and  with  due  feniibillty  to  confult  wdiaf 
would  be  their  own  feelings,  on  Inch  a  fuppofitionf 
Have  they  themfelves  loft  all  deHre  of  freedom  ?  Are 
toey  ddlitute  of  all  tafte  of  the  fweets  cf  it ;  and  have 
they  no  averlion  to  Havery,  for  themfelves  and  children  ? 
If  they  have  thefe  feelings,  what  realbn  have  they  tT 
conclude  their  fervants  have  riot  ? 

Bat  it  feems  molt  of  thofe  mailers  do  not  fully  be¬ 
lieve  what  they  fo  often  fay  on  this  head  :  For  they  have 
never  made  the  trial  ;  nor  can  they  be  perfuaded  to  do 
it.  Let  them  offer  freedom  to  their  fervants;  and  give 
them  opportunity  to  choofe  for  themfelves,  without  be¬ 
ing  under  the  moll  diflant  conftraint.  And  if  they  then 
deliberately  choofc  to  continue  their  Haves,  the  matter 

E 


c  5°  r 


■will  be  fairly  decided,  and  they  may  continue  to  poffcfe 
them  with  a  good  confidence*. 

Slaves  are  generally  under  fuch  difadvantages  and  re- 
ilraints,  that  however  much  they  defire  liberty,  they 
dare  not  To  much  as  mention  it  to  their  matters.  And 
if  their  matter  fhould  order  them  into  his  prefence, 
and  afk  them  whether  they  had  a  defire  to  be  made 
free,  many  would  not  dare  to  declare  their  choice,  left 
it  fhould  offend  him,  and  inftead  of  obtaining  their 
freedom,  bring  theml'elves  into  a  more  evil  cafe  than 
they  were  in  before,  as  the  children  of  Ifratl  did,  by 
defiring  Pkaroah  to  free  them. 

In  this  cafe  fuch  precaution  ought  to  be  taken,  as  to 
give  the  flaves  proper  aflurance  that  they  may  without 
any  danger  to  themfelves,  declare  their  choice  of  free- 
dom:  and  that  it  (hall  be  done  to  them  according  to 
their  choice. 

/].  If  flaves  in  general  were  made  free,  they  would 
foonbein  a  worfe  ftate  than  that  in  which  they  now  are. 
Many  of  them  kpow  not  how  to  contrive  for  themfelves, 
fo  as  to  get  a  living  ;  but  muft  foon  be  maintained  by 
their  former  mailers,  or  fome  others  :  And  others  would 
make  themfelves  wretched,  and  become  a  great  trouble 
to  their  neighbours,  and  an  injury  to  the  public,  by 
their  unreltrained  vices.  This  would  aoubtlefs  be  the 
cafe  with  moft  of  mine,  were  they  fee  free  ;  and 
fome  of  them  are  by  no  means  able  to  maintain  thein- 
jelves. 

B.  I  confefs  this  objection,  at  fir  ft  view,  feems  to 
have  fome  weight  in  it.  But  let  us  examine  it,  and  fee  if 
it  be  futficie-Rt  to  hold  fo  many  thoufands  in  flavery,  and 
their  children  after  them,  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Would  you  have  all  the  white  people,  who  are  given 
to  hurtful  vices,  or  are  unwilling  or  unable  to  maintain 
themfelves,  made  flaves,  and  their  children  after  them, 
and  be  bought  and  fold  for  life  like  cattle  in  the  market  ? 

*  Butthis  will  give  them  no  right  to  make  flaves  of  their  chil¬ 
dren,  even  if  the  parents  themfelves  fhould  exprefsly  confent  to 
it  ;  for  the  parent  can  have  no  right  to  fell  the  liberty  of  his 
childicn. 


I  S'  ] 


Would  you  willingly  give  up  your  own  children  to  tliiv 
ro  be  (laves  for  ever  to  any  one  who  (hould  be  willing 
and  able  to  purchafe  them,  if  they  were  as  vicious,  or 
helplefs  as  you  fuppofe  many  of  the  blacks  would  be  it 
fet  at  liberty  ?  I  am  fure  you  will  not  anfwer  in  the  af¬ 
firmative.  And  by  anfwering  in  the  negative,  as  I 
know  you  mud,  you  will  entirely  remove  the  reafon 
you  have  now  offered  for  holding  the  blacks  in  this  (la- 
very  ;  till  you  can  (hew  why  the  latter  (hould  be  treat¬ 
ed  fo  very  differently  from  the  former,  which  I  am  con¬ 
fident  you  will  not  attempt. 

A  Hate  of  (laverv  has  a  mighty  tendency  to  fink  and 
contract  the  minds  of  men,  and  prevent  their  making 
improvements  in  ufeful  knowledge  of  every  kind  :  If 
finks  the  mind  down  in  darknefs  and  defpair  ;  it  takes 
off  encouragements  to  activity,  and  to  make  improve¬ 
ments,  and  naturally  tends  to  lead  the  en (laved  to  aban¬ 
don  themfelves  to  a  (lupid  carelefi'nefs,  and  to  vices  of 
ad  kinds.  No  wonder  then  the  blacks  among  us  are, 
many  of  them,  fa  deilitute  of  prudence  and  fagacity  to 
aOt  for  themfelves  ;  and  forne  are  given  to  vice.  It  is 
rather  a  wonder,  there  are  fo  many  inftances  of  virtue* 
prudence,  knowledge  and  induftry  among  them,  /nd' 
(hall  we,  becaufe  we  have  reduced  them  to  this  abjeft, 
helplefs,  miserable  (late,  by  our  opprefii-on  of  them,  • 
make  this  an  argument  for  continuing  ;hem  and  their  ’ 
children  in  this  wretched  condition  !  God  forbid  1  This 
ought  rather  to  excite  our  pity,  and  aroufe  us  to  take  . 
Come  effectual  method  without  delay,  to  deliver  them 
and  their  children  from  this  moll  unhappy  llate.  If 
your  own  children  were  in  this  fituation,  would  you 
oiler  this  as  a  good  reafon  why  they  and  their  pofterity 
(hould  be  made  (laves  for  ever  ?  Were  fome  of  your  ’ 
children  unable  to  provide  for  themfelves  through  infir¬ 
mity  of  body,  or  want  of  mental  capacity  ^  and  others 
of  them  were  very  vicious,  would  you  have  them  fold 
into  a  (late  of  flavery  for  this?  or  would  you  make  (laves 
of  them  yourfelf  ?  Would  you  not  be  willing  to  take 
the  hell  care  of  them  in  your  power,  and  give  them  '1 


C  5-  ] 

all  pofHblc  encouragement  to  behave  well  •  and  dire<fr 
and  aflid  them  in  proper  methods  to  get  a  living  ?  I 
know  you  would.  And  why  will  you  not  go  and  do 
likcwife  to  your  flaves  ?  Why  will  you  not  take  off 
the  galling  yoke  from  their  necks,  and  redore  them  to 
that  liberty,  to  whie'h  they  have  as  gooci  a  claim  as 
you  yourfelf  and  your  children  ;  and  which  has  been 
violently  taken  from  them,  and  unjudly  withheld  by 
you  to  this  day  ?  If  any  of  them  are  difpofed  to  behave 
ill,  and  make  a  bad  ufe  of  their  freedom,  let  them  have 
ail  the  motives  to  behave  well  that  can  be  laid 
before  them.  Let  them  be  fubjedt  to  the  fame  reftraints 
and  laws  with  other  freemen  ;  and  have  the  fame  care 
taken  of  them  by  the  public.  And  be  as  ready  to  di¬ 
rect  and  aiTift  thofe  who  want  diferetion  and  afiidance 
to  get  a  living,  as  if  they  were  your  own  children  ;  and 
as  willing  to  fupport  the  helplefs,  infirm  and  aged. 
And  give  ail  proper  encouragement  and  aififtance  to 
thofe  who  have  ferved  you  well,  and  are  like  to  get  a 
good  living,  if  not  put  under  peculiar  difadvantages,  as- 
freed  negroes  mod  commonly  are  ;  by  giving  them  rea¬ 
sonable  wages  for  their  labour,  if  they  ftill  continue 
with  yon,  or  liberally  furnifhing  them  with  what  is 
fieceffary  in  order  to  their  living  comfortably,  and  being- 
in  a  way  to  provide  for  themfelves.  This  was  the  di¬ 
vine  command  to  the  people  of  Ifrael ;  and  does  it  not- 
appear,  at  lead,  equally  reafonable,  in  the  cafe  before 
m  ?  When  one  of  their  brethren  had  ferved  them  the 
number  of  years  that  were  fpecified,  they  were  com¬ 
manded  to  let  him  go  out  free;  and  then  the  following 
injunction  is  added  :  And.  <whe?i  thou  fertdeji  him  out  free 
from  thee ,  them  fhalt  net  let  him  go  aKvay  empty  :  d  hou 
/halt  fnrnijh  him  liberally-  cut  of  thy  fcck ,  and  cut  of  thy 
floor ,  and  out  of  thy  -ovine  prefs  :  Of  that  n.vhirenxith  the 
LORD  thy  GOD  hath  hkffed  thee ,  thou  floalt  gi-ve  unto¬ 
ld  nr,  Deut.  xv.  13,  14. 

If  all  who  have  daves,  woul  1  aft  fuch  a  juft,  wife, 
and  benevolent  part  towards  them,  and  treat  them  in 
a»y  me  aid  re  as  they  would  defire  their  own  children  ar.i; 


f  53  J 

near  relations  fhould  be  treated,  our  flaves  might  all  be 
fet  free,  without  any  detriment  to  themfelves  or  the 
'public  ;  and  their  mailers  would  be  fo  far  from  iofing 
by  it,  that  they  would  be  abundantly  rewarded  for  all 
their  benevolence  to  thefe  injured  poor.  And  if  our 
legislators  would  lend  their  helping  hand,  and  form 
fuch  laws  and  regulations,  as  fhall  be  properly  fuited  to 
p  rote  61  and  a  hill  thofe  that  are  freed,  and  fo  as  in  the 
belt  manner  to  deter  and  rellrain  them  from  vi¬ 
cious  courfes,  and  encourage  their  indullry  and  good 
behaviour  ;  this  would  be  an  additional  fecurity  to  the 
public  again!!  any  imagined  evil  confequence  of  a  gene¬ 
ral  manumillion  of  our  flaves;  and  but  a  piece  ofjuflice 
to  thefe  poor  dependent  creatures,  whom  we  have  made 
fo  by  our  own  unrighteoufnefs  and  oppreflion.  This 
would  encourage  mailers  to  free  their  flaves,  and  leave 
the  otjeflion  we  are  now  confidering  without  the  leaf! 
Shadow  of  foundation. 

A.  You  are  doubtlefs  fenfible,  Sir,  that  the  legifla- 
tures  in  thefe  colonies,  are  fo  far  from  giving  this  en¬ 
couragement  to  manumit  our  flaves,  that  the  laws  are 
rather  a  clog  or  hindrance  to  any  tiling. of  this  kind,  as 
they  require  the  mailer  'to  give  fecurity. for  the  mainte¬ 
nance  of  his  flaves,  if  they  fhouldoefef  '.want  any  aflifl- 
a nee,  before  he  is  allowed  to  nrakre/them  free. 

B.  I  am  forry  to  fay  there  is  too* much  truth  in  this. 

I  hope  our  legiflatures  will  loon  attend  with  proper 
concern  to  this  affair;  and  in  their  juftice,  wifdom  and 
gooanefs,  enter  upon  meafures  which  fhall  en¬ 
courage  and  effedl  a  general  emancipation  of  our  flaves. 

Hut  if  this  fhould  not  be,  I  think  it  appears  from  the 
oourfeof  this  converfaiion,  that  this  will  not  excufe  thofe 
wh  )  have  flaves  from  fetting  them  at  liberty,  even 
though  they  fhould  be  obliged  to  maintain  them  all 
their  days.  If  any  flave-holdcr  can  lay  his  hand  on 
his  bread,  and  fincerely  fay,  if  his  children  were  Haves 
at  Algiers ,  he  would  not  defirc  their  mafter  to  free  them, 
unlels  he  could  do  it,  without  any  rifque  of  their  ever 
being  a  charge  to  him  ;  then  let  him  ltill  hold  his  flaves- 


r  54  ] 

in  bondage  with  a  quiet  confidence.  Otherwife,  I  Tee 
not  how  he  can  do  it. 

A.  If  it  were  granted  that  our  Haves  ought  to  be 
freed,  if  times  and  the  public  Hate  of  the  American  co¬ 
lonies  would  admit.  Yet  in  our  prefent  peculiar,  cala¬ 
mitous,  diflrefling  Hate,  it  may  be  very  imprudent  and 
wrong,  and  tend  to  great  evil  to  adopt  this  meafure. 
MoH  of  the  Haves  in  populous  fea-port  places,  have 
now  little  or  no  bufinefs  to  do  ;  and  are  lupportea  by 
their  m  a  Hers,  while  they  earn  little  or  nothing.  And 
if  they  fhould  be  difmified  by  their  mailers,  they  could 
not  maintain  themfelves,  and  mull  fuffer.  And  the 
attention  and  exertion  of  the  public  is  fo  neceffarily 
turned  to  the  defence  of  ourfelves;  and  this  civil  war 
introduces  fuch  calamity  and  confufion,  that  it  cannot 
be  expended  ;  yea  his  quite  impoflible,  that  there  fhould 
be  any  proper  care  of  the  public,  fo  as  to  make  the  pro- 
vifion  and  regulations  which  would  be  abfolutely  ne- 
cefTary  in  this  cafe.  Though  I  fuggefled  this  in  the 
beginning  of  our  converfation,  yet  I  think  you  have 
paid  little  or  no  attention  to  it.  I  wifli  this  might  be 
well  con  fid ered. 

B.  I  think  the:fa£ls  yon  have  now  alledged,  as  rea- 
fons  againil  freeing  ou,r  Haves  at  prefent,  will,  if  duly 
confidered,  afford  arguments  for  the  very  thing  you  are 
oppofmg.  The  flaves  who  are  become  unprofitable  to 
their  mailers,  by  the  prefent  calamitous  Hate  of  our 
country,  will  be  with  the  lefs  reludfance  fet  at  liberty, 
it  is  hoped  ;  and  if  no  public  provifion  be  made  for 
them,  that  they  may  be  tranfported  to  Africa ,  where 
they  might  probably  live  better  than  in  any  other  coun¬ 
try  ;  or  he  removed  into  thofe  places  in  this  land, 
where  they  may  have  profitable  bufinefs.,  and  are  want¬ 
ed,  now  fo  many  are  called  from  their  farms  to  defend 
our  country. — I  fay,  if  this  be  not  done,  the  maflers,  by 
freeing  them,  would  lofe  nothing  by  it,  even  though 
they  continue  to  fupport  them,  till  fome  way  fliall  open 
for  them  to  help  themfelves.  I  mufl  here  again  delire 
every  owner  of  flaves  to  make. their  cafe  his  own,  and. 


[  55  ] 


confider,  if  he  or  his  children  were  unjuilly  in  2  ftate 
of  flavery,  whether  he  fhould  think  fuch  an  objedlion 
againft  their  being  fet  at  liberty  of  any  weight  ?  Would 
he  not  rather  think  it  reafonable  that  the  mailers  who 
had  held  them  in  bondage,  againft  all  right  and  reafon, 
would  confider  their  being,  by  an  extraordinary  provi¬ 
dence,  rendered  unprofitable  to  them,  as  an  admonition 
to  break  off  their  fins  by  righteoufnefs  and  their  iniquity 
tey  Ihe wing  mercy  to  thefepoor  ?  And  that  it  ought  to  be 
a  greater  fatisfa&ion  to  them,  thus  to  do  juftice  without 
delay,  and  relieve  thefe  oppreffed  poor,  than  to  poftefs 
all  the  riches,  honors  and  pleafures  of  this  world  ?  And 
if  thefe  mailers  fhould  difregard  fuch  an  admonition, 
and  negledl  this  opportunity  to  fet  them  at  liberty, 
putting  it  off  to  a  more  convenient  feafon,  would  it 
not  be  very  grievous  to  him,  and  overwhelm  him  in 
defpair  of  their  ever  doing  it  ?  Is  it  not  very  certain 
that  they  who  make  this  objedion  againft  freeing  their 
(laves  without  delay,  would  not  free  them,  if  the  times 
fhould  change,  and  they  again  become  profitable  !  If 
they  mull  maintain  them,  can  they  not  do  it  as  well 
when  they  are  free,  as  while  they  are  (laves  ;  and  ought 
they  not  to  do  it  with  much  more  fatisfadion  ? 

And  as  to  the  public,  all  neceftary  regulations  and 
provifion  might  eafiiy,  and  very  foon  be  made  even  in 
our  prefent  diltrefiing  circumftanccs,  effectually  to 
emancipate  all  our  {laves,  were  the  minds  of  men  in 
general  properly  imprelTed  with  theirjmifery,  and  they 
fufnciently  engaged  to  do  juftice,  and  fhew  mercy  *  . 

*  God  is  fo  ordering  it  in  his  Providence,  that  it  feems  abfo- 
lutely  ncccflary  fomsthing  fhould  fpeedilv  be  done  with  refpedt  to 
the  Haves  among  us,  in  order  to  our  f.tfety,  and  to  prevent  their 
turning  againft  us  in  our  prefent  ftruggle,  in  order  to  get  their 
liberty.  Our  oppretVors  have  planned  to  gain  the  bi  rck?,  and 
induce  them  to  take  up  arms  againft  us,  by  promifing  them  li¬ 
berty,  on  this  condition  ;  and  this  plan  they  are  profecuting  to 
the  utmoft  of  their  power,  by  which  means  they  have  perl'uadcd 
numbers  to  join  them.  And  fhould  wc  attempt  to  reftrain  them 
by  force  and  feverity,  keeping  a  ftii£t  guard  over  them,  and  pu- 
nifhing  them  feverely,  who  fhall  be  detected  in  attempting  to  join 


/ 


i  n 

This  objection  might  be  urged  '  with  much  greater 
fhew  of  reafon  by  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  again# 
freeing  their  fervants  when  they  were  not  only  in  a 
ftate  of  war,  but  fhut  up,  and  ciofely  beneged  in  that 
city  ;  yet  we  find  it  was  their  duty  to  free  them  imme¬ 
diately,  as  theonly  way  to  efcape  threatened  deftrudtion,; 
and  as  focn  as  they  hid  done  this,  they  had  refpite,  and 
would  have  obtained  final  deliverance,  had  they  not  re* 
turned  to  their  old  oppreffion,  and  again  brought  their 
freed  fervants  into  bondage. 

This  leads  me  to  obferve,  that  our  diilreffes  are  come 
upon  us  in  fuch  a  way,  and  the  occafion  of  the  prelent 
war  is  fuch,  as  in  the  molt  clear  and  finking  manner  to 
point  out  the  fm  of  holding  our  blacks  in  flavery,  and 
adinonifh  us  to  reform,  and  render  us  fhockingly  in- 
confident  with  ourfelves,  and  amazingly  guilty  if  we 
refufe.  God  has  raffed  up  men  to  attempt  to  deprive 
lis  of  liberty  ;  and-the  evil  we  are  threatened  with  is 
flavery.  This,  with  oar  vigorous  attempts  to  avoid  ir, 
is  the  ground  of  all  our  diftreffss,  and  the  general  voice 
is,  <!  We  will. die  in  the  attempt,  rather  than  fubmit 
to  flavery.”  But  are  we  at  the  fame  time  making  Haves 
cf  many  thousands  of  our  brethren,  who  have  as  good  a 
right  to  liberty  as  ourfelves,  and  to  whom  it  is  as  fweet 
as  it  is  to  us,  and  the  contrary  as  dreadful  !  Are  we 
holding  them  in  the  meft  abisfl,  miierable  ftate  of  fia- 
very,  without  the  lead  compafiionate  feeling  towards 
them  or  their  poilerity  ;  utterly  refufing  to  take  off  the 
oppreflive  galling  yoke  !  Oh,  the  fhocking,  the  intole¬ 
rable  iaconfiftence  !  And  this  grofs,  barefaced  in¬ 


cur  oppofers  ;  this  will  onlv  be  making  bad  worfe,  and  ferve  to 
render  our  inconliitence,  oppre/fion  and  cruelty,  more  criminal, 
perfpicuous  and  'hocking,  and  bring  down  the  righteous  vengeance 
of  Heaven  on  our  heads.  The  only  way  pointed  out  to  prevent 
this  th  eatening  evil,  is  to  fet  the  blacks  at  liberty  ourfelves,  by 
fame  public  acts  and  laws  ;  and  then  give  them  proper  encou¬ 
ragement  to  labour,  or  take  arms  in  the  defence  of  the  American 
caufs,  as  they  fhal!  cho^fe.  This  would  at  or.ce  be  doing  them 
fame  degree  of  j  a  dice,  2nd  defeating  our  enemies  in  the  feheme 
td  i\  are  profecuting- 


[  S7  I 


corfiftence,  is  an  open,  pradtical  condemnation  of 
holding  thefe  our  brethren  in  flaveryj  and  in  thefe  cir- 
cumftances  the  crime  of  perfiiting  ,  in  it  becomes  tm- 
fpeakably  greater  and  more  provoking  in  God’s  fight  ; 
fo  that  all  the  former  unrighteoufnefs  and  cruelty  ex- 
ercifed  in  this  practice,  is  innocence,  compared  with 
the  awful  guilt  that  is  now  contracted.  And  in  allu¬ 
sion  to  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  it  may  with  great 
truth  and  propriety  be  faid,  “  If  he  had  not  thus  come 
in  his  Providence,  and  lpoken  unto  us,  (comparatively 
fpeaking)  we  had  not  had  fin,  in  making  bond-flaves 
of  our  brethren  j  but  now,  we  have  no  cloak  for  our 
fin.  ” 

And  if  we  continue  in  this  evil  pradliee,  and  refafe 
to  let  the  opprcffed  go  free,  under  all  this  light  and  ad¬ 
monition,  fuited  to  convince  and  reform  us  \  and  while 
God  is  evidently  correcting  us  for  it,  as  well  as  for  other 
fins,  have  we  any  reafon  to  expcdt  deliverance  from  the 
calamities  we  are  under  ?  May  we  not  rather  look  for 
fla very  and  deftrudtion,  like  that  which  came  upon  the 
ob  lb  irate,  unreformed  Jews  ?  In  this  light,  I  think,  it 
ought  to  bee  nfidered  ov  us  ;  and  viewed  thus,  it  af¬ 
fords  a  mod  forcible,  formidable  argument,  not  to  put 
off  liberating  our  flaves  to  a  more  convenient  time  ; 
but  to  arife,  all  as  one  man,  and  do  it  with  all  our 
might,  w  ithout  delay,  fince  delaying  in  this  cafe  is  aw¬ 
fully  dangerous,  well  as  unfipeakably  criminal.  This 
was  hinted  in  the  beginning  of  our  converfation,  you 
may  remember,  and  I  am  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
confidcr  it  more  particularly. 

A.  Yea  have  repeatedly  fpoken.  of  the  attempt  that 
is  made  to  op^refs  and  enflave  the  American  colonies, 
and  the  calamities  this  has  introduced,  as  a  judgment 
which  God  has  brought  upon  us  for  enslaving  the  Af¬ 
ricans^  arid  fay  we  have  no  reafon  to  expedt  deliverance, 
bur  lbll  greater  judgments,  unlcfs  this  pradfice  be  re¬ 
formed.  But  is  not  this  fuppofition  inconfiftent  with 
the  courfe  of  divine  Providence  fince  this  war  began  ? 
-live  we  not  been  flrengther.ed  and  faccceded  in  ous , 

•n 

K  z  . 


♦ 


C  ss  ] 


sppofuion  to  the  meafures  taken  agaiail  us,  even  fce1- 
yond  our  moil  fanguine  expectations  ;  and  a  feries  of' 
events,  very  extraordinary,  and  ahnoil  miraculous,, 
have  taken  place  in  our  favour,  and  fo  ;s  remarkably 
to  difappoint  our  oppofers,  and  baffle  them  in  all  th;  r 
plots  and  attempts  againft  us.  blow  is  this  confident 
with  the  above  fuppofition  ?  If  thefe  calamities  were 
brought  on  ns  for  our  fin  in  en having  the  Africans,  and 
an  exprefflon  of  God’s  difpleafure  with  us  on  that  ac¬ 
count,  would  he  in.  fuch  a  fignal  manner  appear  on  our 
fide,  and  favour,  proteft  and  profper  us  ;  even  fo  that 
thofe  of  our-  enemies,  who  are  confiderate  and  atten¬ 
tive,  have  been  obliged  to  acknowledge  God  was  for 
us;  I  fay,  could  this  be,  while  we  per  fid  in  that  prac- 
sice  fo  od'enfive  to  him  ? 

B .  When  1  fpeakof  our  being  under  the  divine  judg¬ 
ments  for  this  fin  of  enflaving  the  Africans^  I  do  not 
mean  to  exclude  other  public  crying  fins  found  among 
us,  fuch  as  impiety  and  profanenefs — formality  and  in¬ 
difference  in  the  ferviee  and  caufe  of  Chrid  and  his  re¬ 
ligion— and  the  various  ways  of  open  oppofition  to  it — 
intemperance  and  prodigality;  and  other  indances  of 
unrighteoufnefs,  See.  the  fruits  of  a  mod  criminal,  con¬ 
tracted  felfiihnefs,  which  is-the  fource  of  the  high  handed 


eppreffion  we  are  coniidering.  But  that  this  is  a  fin 
mod  particularly  pointed  out,  and  fo  contrary  to  cur 
holy  religion  in  every  view  of  it,  •nd  fuch  an  open 
violation  of  all  the  laws  of  lighteoufnefs,  humanity,  and 
charity,  and  fo  contrary  to  our  proftfflons  and-^xer- 
tions  in  the  caufe  of  liberty,  that  we  have  no  reafflrv 
lo  expert,  nor  can-fincerely  aik  deliverance,  fo  long  as 
vre  continue  in  a  difpofition  to  hold  lad  this  iniquity. 
It  we  Ihould  be  delivered  while  we  continue  in  this 
evil  preface  and  obiUoatelv  refute  i.'?orougb!y  to  execute 
putement  between  a  man  and  his  neighbour,  bet  go 
or,  to  operefs  the  .  ranger,  the  lather!  eis,  and  the  wi¬ 
dow.  we  fizbuki,  agreeable  to  the  ipirit  of  what  voa 
have  jud  fa  id,  improve  fuch  deliverance,  God  laid. 

X-vs  wo.  :d.  have  done-  had  he  delivered  .them,. 


\ 

[  59  I  ! 

while  they  refufed  to  reform.  “  Will  ye  deal,  murder,. 
£cc.  and  come  and  (land  before  me  in  this  houfe,  which 
is  called  by  my  name,  and  fay,  IV e  an  delivered,  to  do 
all  tbefe  abominations  r*”  Surely  this  is  not  to  be  ex¬ 
pected  or  defired.  Even  the  prayer  for  fuch  deliver¬ 
ance  mud  be  an  abomination  to  the  Lord. 

But  your  objection  is  worthy  of  a  more  particular 
anfwer. — It  has  been  obferved,  that  there  has  been  a 
general  refolution  to  fupprefs  the  Have -trade  in  thefe 
colonics,  and  to  import  no  more  flaves  from  Africa. 
This  is  2  remarkable  inftance  of  our  profefled.  regard 
to  j  aft  ice,  and  a  wife  and  notable  hep  towards  a  refor¬ 
mation  of  this  evil  ;  and,  as  has  been  obferved,  a  com- 
pleat  reformation  will  be  the  unavoidable  confequence, 
if  we  will  be  confident  with  ourfelves.  For  no  reafon 
can  be  given  for  fupprelhng  the  flave-trade,  which  is 
no:  equally  a  reafon  for  freeing  all  thofe  who  have  been 
reduced  to  a  date  of  flavery  by  that  trade  ;  and  that 
fame  regard  to  judice,  humanity  and  mercy,  which 
iviil  induce  us  to  ucquiefce  in  the  former,  will  certain¬ 
ly  oblige  us  to  practice  the  latter.  Have  we  not,  there¬ 
fore,  reafon  to  think  that  the  righteous,  and  infinitely 
merciful  Governor  of  the  world,  has  been  pleafed  to 
tefiifv  his  well-pleafednefs  with  that  regard  to  righte- 
oufnefs  and  mercy  which  we  profefled,  and  appeared 
to  exercife,  in  refufing  to  import  any  more  flaves  ;  and 
which  is  an  implicit  condemnation  of  all  the  flavery 
praffifed  among  us,  by  appearing  on  our  fide  in  the  re¬ 
markable,  extraordinary  manner  you  have  mentioned  ; 
by  which  wonderful  interpofition  in  our  favour,  he  has 
at  the  fame  time  given  us  the  greared  encouragement 
not  to  flop  what  we.  have  begun,  but  to  go  on  to  a 
thorough  reformation,  and  aft  confidently  with  our¬ 
felves,  by  breaking  every  yoke,  and  doing  judice  to  all 
our  opprefi’ed  flaves  ;  as  well  as  to  repent  of  and  reform 
all  our  open,  public  fins  ?  So  that  God  is  hereby  fhew- 
ing  us  what  he  can  do  for  us,  and  how  happy  we  muy>. 

*  See  Ter.  vii.  ".-—lO. 

<• 


[  6°  J 


be,  under  his  protection,  if  we  will  thoroughly  amend 
our  ways,  and  our  doings  ;  and  loudly  calling  us  to  a 
thorough  reformation,  in  this  molt  kind  and  winning 
way. 

But  if  we  obdinately  refufe  to  reform,  what  we  have 
implicitly  declared  to  be  wrong,  and  engaged  to  put 
away  the  holding  the  Africans  in  flavery,  which  is  fo 
particularly  pointed  out  by  the  evil  with  which  we 
are  threatened,  and  is  fuch  a  glaring  contradiction  to 
our  profeffed  aver  (ion  to  (lavery,  and  itruggle  for  civil 
liberty  j  and.  improve  the  favour  Goa  is  (hewing  us,  as 
an  argument  in  favour  of  this  iniquity,  and  encourage¬ 
ment  to  perfilt  in  it,  as  you,  Sir,  have  juit  now  done; 
have  we  not  the  greatest  reafon  to  fear,  yea,  may  we 
not  with  great  certainty  conclude,  God  will  yet  with¬ 
draw  his  kind  protection  from  us,  and  puniih  us  yet 
feven  tinges  more  r  This  has  been  God’s  ufual  way  of 
dealing  with  his  profefiing  people  ;  and  who  can  fay  it 


is  not  molt  reasonable  and  wite  t  He  then  aCts  the  mod 
friendly  part  to  thefe  colonies  and  to  the  matters  of 
(laves,  as  well  as- to  the  dives  themfelves,  who  does  his 
utmod  to  effect  a  general  emancipation  of  the  Africans 
among  us  :  And  in  this  view  I  could  vvifh  the  corner- 
fation  we  have  now  had  on  this  lubjedt,  if  nothing 
better  i3  like  to  be  done,  were  publifhed  and  fpread 
through  all  the  colonies,  aad  had  the  attentive  perufai 


ef  every  American- 


dbdbdbdbdbdberb  gfee£**fo 

A  A.  .A,  A.  .A.  A  A  ••*•  A. _ A  A, 


An  ADDRESS 

To  the  OWNERS  of 
NEGRO  SLAVES,  in 
the  American  Colonies, 

Gentlemen, 

SINCE  it  has  been  determined  to  publifh  the 
preceding  dialogue,  it  was  thought  proper  it 
ihould  be  attended  with  a  particular  addrefs  to  you, 
who  are  more  immediately  interelled  in  the  flavcry 
there  confidered. 

It  would  be  injurious,  it  is  confelTed,  to  conlideryou 
as  the  only  perfons  guilty  or  concerned  in  this  matter. 
Thefeveral  legiflatures  in  thefe  colonies,  the  magiftrates, 
and  the  body  of  the  people  have  doubtlefs  been  greatly 
guilty  in  approving  and  encouraging,  or  at  leail  con¬ 
niving  at  this  pra£lice%  Yea,  every  one  is  in  a  meafure 
guilty,  who  has  been  inattentive  to  this  oppreflion,  and 
unaffedled  with  it,  and  negle&ed  to  bear  proper  tefti- 
mony  againft  it.  And  it  is  granted,  the  public  ought 
to  go  into  fome  effectual  meafurcs  to  liberate  all  the 
Haves,  without  laying  an  unreafonable  burden  on  their 
mailers.  But  though  this  be  not  done,  fuch  ncgleft 
will  not  excufe  you  in  holding  them  in  flavefy  ;  as  it  is 
in  your  power  to  fet  them  free,  and  your  indifpcnfibl-e 
duty,  and  really  your  interell,  to  do  them  this  piece  of 
jultice,  though  .others  fhould  ncgleft  to  afliit  you, 
ehey  ought. 


F 


r  6*  3 


It  is  hoped,  you  will  not  be  offended  with  the  plain- 
nefs  of  fpeech  ufed  on  this  fubjeft  ;  and  that,  though 
you  fhould  at  frit  think  fome  of  the  epithets  and  ex- 
preffions  which  are  ufed,  too  fevcre,  and  find  the  fub- 
jeCt  itfelf  difagreeable  ;  this  will  not  prevent  your  at¬ 
tentively  confidering  it,  and  weighing  what  is  offered, 
with  theutmofl  impartiality,  and  readinefs  to  receive  con¬ 
viction,  how  much  foever  you  may  find  yourfelves  con¬ 
demned.  For,  if  your  practice  is  here  fet  in  a  true 
light,  in  which  it  mull;  appear  to  all  impartial,  judicious, 
good  men;  and  in  which  it  will  appear  to  all,  at  the 
day  of  judgment ;  you  mud  be  fenfible  you  cannot  too 
foon  admit  the  convidlion,  and  reform.  And  here  it 
cannot  be  improper  to  remind  you  of  your  liablenefs  to 
ffrong  prejudices,  which  tend  to  prevent  your  feeing 
w  hat  in  itlelf  may  be  very  plain.  Our  divine  teacher 
fays,  “  Every  one  that  doth  evil,  hateth  the  light,  neither 
cometh  to  the  light,  left  his  deeds  fhould  be.  reproved.” 
If  you  are  indeed  doing  evil,  according  to  the  import  of 
the  preceding  dialogue,  thefe  words  of  Chriji  are  lo 
far  applicable  to  you,  and  are  fuited  to  awaken  your 
jealouiy  of  yourfelves,  and  lead  you  to  attend  to  the 
iubject  with  great  concern,  circumfpeCtion,  and  earned 
prayer  to  the  Father  of  lights,  for  that  difcerning  and 
wifdom,  by  which  you  may,  in  the  cafe  depending, 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  And  is  it  net 
worthy  your  ferious  confideration,  that  they  who  are 
not  interefled  in  this  practice,  and  have  no  Haves,  arc 
generally.,  if  not  every  one,  fully  convinced  it  is  wrong  ? 
Are  they  not,  at  lead  many  of  them,  as  capable  of 
judg:ng  in  this  matter,  as  you  yourfelves  are  ;  and 
therefore  more  likely  to  judge  right  than  you,  as  they 
are  uninterefled  and  impartial  ?  The  conviction  of  the 
.linjudiiiablenefs  of  this  practice  has  been  increafing,  and 
greatly  fpread  of  late;  and  many  who  have  had  Haves, 
have  found  themfclves  fo  unable  to  juftify  their  own 
conduct  in  holding  them  in  bondage,  as  to  bcjnduccd 
to  fet  them  at  liberty.  May  this  conviction  foon  reach 
every  owner  of  Haves  in  North- America  ! 


To  this  end  you  are  defired  to  cortider,  what  iV 
more  than  once  urged  in  the  dialogue,  viz. 

The  very  incontinent  part  you  ad,  while  you  are 
thus  entiaving  your  fellow  men,  and  yet  condemning, 
and  itrenuoufly  oppoting  thofe  who  are  attempting  to 
bring  you  and  your  children  into  a  ftate  of  bondage, 
much  lighter  than  that  in  which  you  keep  your  Saves ; 
who  yet  have  at  leafb  as  good  a  right  to  make  flaves  of 
you  and  your  children,  as  you  have  to  hold  your  bre¬ 
thren  in  this  ilate  of  bondage.  Men  do  not  love  to  be 
incontinent  with  themfelvcs  :  and  therefore  this  is  fo 
evident  and  glaring,  that  if  you  will  only  fu  flier  your- 
felves  to  retied  a  moment,  it  mull  give  you  pain,  from 
which  you  can  find  no  relief,  but  by  freeing  yor  Saves, 
or  relmqui tiling  the  caufe  or  public  liberty,  which  you. 
have  thought  fo  glorious,  and  worthy  to  be  purfued  at 
the  rifk  ot  your  fortunes  and  lives. 

A  general  affembly  of  one  of  thefe  colonies,*  have 
e-xprefled  their  eonvidion  of  this  incontinence,  and 
given  it  as  a  reaion  for  freeing  our  flaves,  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  words,  “  Whereas  the  inhabitants  of  America  arc 

#  RHobE-IsiAND.  This  is  a  preamble  to  a  propofed  ad, 
“  prohibiting  the  importation  of  Negroes  into  this  colony,  and 
averting  the  rights  of  freedom  of  all  thofe  hereafter  born  or  ma-- 
numittca  within  the  fame.”  It  is  obfervabie,  at  fir  ft  view,  that 
the  real'on  given  for  this  ad,  is  equally  a  reafon  for  actually  free¬ 
ing  all  the  Negro  Haves  in  the  colony,  without  delay.  As 
Rhode-Ifiand  has  been  more  deeply  interefted  in  the  Have-trade, 
and  has  enfiaved  more  of  the  poor  Africans,  than  any  other  co¬ 
lony  in  New-England,  it  has  been  to  the  honor  of  that  colony, 
that  they  have  lately  made  a  law  prohibiting  the  importation  of 
any  more  flaves  How  becoming,  honourable  and  happy  would  it 
have  been,  had  they  added  up  to  the  truth  afferted  in  the  preamble 
mentioned,  and  taken  the  lead  of  all  t  he  united  colonies,  in  ef- 
fedually  providing  for  the  freedom  of  all  their  Haves  ! 

Since  the  above  was  publi/hed,  the  General  Affembly  of  that 
State,  have  made  a  law,  by  which  all  the  blacks  born  in  it  after 
March  1784,  are  made  free.  And  the  matters  who  have  Haves  • 
under  40  years  old,  are  authorifed  to  free  them,  without  being 
bound,  or  liable  to  maintain  them,  if  afterwards  they  Hiould  bo 
ttnable  to  fupport  thenxfclves. 


f  64  ] 

**  generally  engaged  in  the  prefervation  of  their  owns- 
'**  rights  and  liberties,  among  which  that  of  perfonai1 
**  freedom  mull  be  confidered  as  the  greateft ;  and  as 
thofe  who  are  defirous  of  enjoying  all  the  advan- 
tages  of  liberty  themielves,  fhould  be  willing  to  ex- 
u  tend  perfonai  liberty  to  others :  Therefore,  be  it. 

enafied,”  &c.- - Is  it  poftible  that  any  one  fhould 

not  feel  the  irrefiftable  force  of  this  reafon  ?  And  who 
would  be  willing  to  practice  this  glaring  felf-contra- 
diflion,  rather  than  let  his  fervants  go  out  free  even, 
though  he  fhould  hereby  give  up  the  greateft  part  of  his 
living,  yea,  every  penny  he  has  in  the  world  !  With, 
what  propriety  will  all  fuch  inconfiftent  oppreffors  be 
addreffed,  by  Him  before  whom  mailers  and  their 
Haves  will  fhortly  hand,  as  their  impartial  judge  ? 
41  Out  cf  thine  own  mouth  will  I  judge  thee ,  thou  wicked' 
few  ant  /” 

Be  intreated  alfo  ferioufly  to  confider,  how  very  of¬ 
fensive  to  God,  unri'ghteoufnefs  and'  the  oppreHion  of 
ihe  poor*  the  ftranger  an.d  fatherlefs,  is  reprefentea  to 
be,  in  the  holy  fcripture.  This  is  often  fpoken  of  as 
*he  procuring  caufe  of  the  calamities  that  came  on  God’s 
profefting  people  of  old,  and  of  their  final  ruin.  It 
may  fuffice  to  quote  a  few  paflages  of  this  tenor,  and 
refer  you  to  places  where  others  are  to  be  found,  fcr. 
xxi.  12.  “  O  houfe  of  David,  thus  faith  the  Lord,. 

Execute  judgment  in  the  morning,  and  deliver  hitn  that 
is  fpoiled  out  of  the  hand  of  the  opprefory  left  my  fury  go 
out  like  fire,  and  burn,  that  none  can  quench  it,  be- 
*aufe  of  the  evil  of  your  doings.”  Eiek.  xxii.  29,  30, 
51.  “  The  people  of  the  land  have  ufed  opprefhon, 

and  exercifed  robbery ,  and  have  vexed  the  poor  and  needy  z 

yeay  they  have  opprefed  the  f  ranger  wrongfully. - And 

I  fought  for  a  man  among  them,  that  fhould  make  up 
file  hedge,  &c. — but  I  found  none.  Therefore  have  I 
poured  out  mine  indignation  upon  them,”  8cc. — Amos 
iL  6.  “  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  For  three  tranfgreftions 

Jfraely  and  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punifh- 
sigpt  thereof,  hecauje  they  /old  the- righteous  for  (liver,  and' 


t  65  } 

the  poor  for  a  pair  of  /Jjoes”  Zech.  vii.  9. —14.  u  Thu# 
the  Lord  of  hofts,  faying,  Execute  true  judgment,  and 
fhew  mercy  and  companions  every  man  to  his  brother. 
And  opprefs  not  the  widow,  nor  the  fatherlefs,  the 
Jlranger  nor  the  poor  ;  and  let  none  of  you  imagine  evil 
againft  his  brother  in  your  heart.  But  they  refufed  to 
hearken — yea,  they  made  their  hearts  as  an  adamant 
done — Therefore  came  a  great  wrath  from  the  Lord  of 
hofts,”  See*. 

Are  not  the  African  Haves  among  us  the  poor,  the 
ftrangers,  the  fatherlefs,  who  are  opprefled  and  vexed> 
and  fold  for  filver  ?  And  will  not  God  viht  and  punifh 
fuch  opprelhon  ?  Are  you  willing  to  be  the  inftruments 
of  bringing  judgments  and  ruin  on  this  land,  and  on 
yourfelves  and  families,  rather  than  let  the  opprefled  go 
out  free  ? 

On  the  contrary,  mercy,  deliverance  and  profperity 
were  often  promifed  them,  if  they  would  leave  off  their 
oppreffiont,  and  do  juftice,  and  fhew  mercy,  in  deliver* 
ing  the  opprefled,  and  fhewing  kindnefs  to  the  ftranger 
and  the  poor.  Ifa.  i.  16, — 18.  “  Ceafe  to  do  evil, 

learn  to  do  well,  feek  judgment ,  relieve  the  cpprejjedy 

judge  the  fatherlefs,  plead  for  the  widow - Though 

your  ftns  be  as  fcarlet,  they  flhall  be  white  as  fnovv 

- If  ye  be  willing  and  obedient,  ye  fhall  cat  the 

good  of  the  land.”  Jer.  vii.  1, — 7.  “Stand  in  the 
gate  of  the  Lord’s  houfe,  and  proclaim  there  this  word, 
and  fay — If  ye  thoroughly  amend  your  ways,  and  your 
doings  ;  If  ye  thoroughly  execute  judgment  between  a  man 
and  his  neighbour ,  if  you  opprefs  not  the  granger,  the  fa¬ 
therlefs  and  the  widow,  and  filed  not  innocent  blood 
in  this  place — then  will  I  caufe  you  to  dwell — in  the 
land  I  gave  to  your  fathers,  for  ever  and  ever.”  Jer.  xxii. 
1, — 4.  “  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  Execute  judgment  and 

righteoufnefs,  and  deliver  the  J polled  out  of  the  hand  of 

*  See  to  the  fame  purpofc,  Ifa.  iii.  14,  15.  x.  1,-4,  Jer. 
v.  27, — 29.  vi.  6,  7.  xxii.  13,-— 17.  Amos  iv.  1,  a.  y.  it> 
T2.  Villa  4,-— §*. 


[  66  ] 


the  opprejjor  ;  and  do  no  wrong,  do  no  violence  to  the 
Jiranger ,  the  fatsherlefs,  nor  widow — For  if  ye  do  this- 
tiling  indeed,”  &c*. 

How  can  we  attend  to  the  voice  of  God  in  thefe  fa- 
cred  writings,  and  not  fee  that  you  are  moil  clearly 
pointed  out.  And  will  you  be  affronted,  or  even  dis¬ 
regard  us,  while  we  intreat  and  conjure  you,  by  all  that 
is  important  and  facred,  fo  far  to  regard  thefe  threat  - 
mngs  and  promifes,  and  purfue  your  own  higheft  in* 
tore  it  and  that  of  the  public,  as  to  let  your  opprefl'ed 
Saves  go  out  free  !  Do  not  fay,  “  This  is  too  great  a 
Sacrifice  for  us  to  make  ;  who  will  indemnify  us,  if  we 
give  up  our  Servants  ?  The  Sovereign  owner  of  all 
things  has  promifed  you  indemnity  ;  yea,  infinitely 
more,  deliverance  irom  the  awful  cu'rfe  which  comes 
upon  the  opprefl'or  ;  and  his,,  prptedtion  and  bleffing. . 
And  here  it  may  be  proper  to  remind  you  of  the  di¬ 
vine  anlwer  to  the  king  of  Judah,  when,  being  ordered 
to  difmifs  the  mercenaries  he  had  procured  to  affiil  him, 
he  aSced,  what  he  fhouid  do  for  the  hundred  talents 
which  this  army  had  coil  him  ?  “  And  the  man  of 
God  anfwered,  The  Lord  is  able  to  give  thee  much 
more  than  this.”  2  Chron .  xxv.  6,-9. 

Confider  alio,  how  very  inconfiilent  this  injuftice 
and  oppreflion  is  with  worshipping  God  through  Chrift, 
and  attending  on  the  inftitutions  of  religion  ;  and  how 
unacceptable  and  abominable  thefe  mull  be,  while  you. 
negledl  to  let  the  opprefl'ed  go  free,  and  refufe  to  do 
juftice,  and  love  mercy.  The  bible  is  full  of  declara¬ 
tions  of  this'f-. 

“  To  do  juftice  and  judgment,  is  more  acceptable  to 
the  Lord  than  Sacrifice.”  Without  the  former,  the 
latter  is  nothing  but  grofs  hypocrify,  and  abomination 
to  God;  for  he  “  will  have  mercy,  and  not  facrifice.” 
He  requires  no  devotion,  or  attendance  on  any  religious 
right  or  inftitution,  which  is  inconfiilent  with  mercy,, 

*  See  alfo  Ifa.  xxxiii.  15,  j6.  lviii.  6,  Jer.  v.  1. 

Read  Ifa.  lviii.  and  ch.  i.  v«  10,— 13.  Aiuss  v.  21  ,—2. 


l  6;  ] 


'Or  that -is  done  without  the  love  and  exercife  of  mercy ; 
but  rejects  all  fuch  prayers  and  fervice,  as  molt  difho- 
nourable  and  abominable  to  him.  And  when  we  con- 
iider,  that  Chriftianity  is  the  greated  indance  and  ex¬ 
hibition  of  righteouinels  and  mercy  that  was  ever' 
known,  or  can  be  conceived  of:  And  the  great  Author 
of  it  is,  in  the  mod  eminent  arnd  glorious  degree,  the 
just  God  and  the  Saviour  ;  we  fhall  not  wonder 
that  no  offering  can  be  acceptable  to  him,  which  is 
without  the  exercile  and  pradtile  of  righteoufnefs  and 
mercy  :  And  that  “  he  fhall  have  judgment  without 
mercy,  that  hath  fnewed  no  mercy.” 

You  who  are  profeflbrs  of  religion,  and  yet  the  own¬ 
ers  of  flaves,  are  intreated  well  to  confider,  how  you 
mud  appear  in  the  fight  of  God,  and  of  all  who  view 
your  conduct  in  a  true  light,  while  you  attend  your  fa¬ 
mily  and  public  devotions,  and  fit  down  from  time  to 
time,  at  the  tabic  of  the  Lord.  If  your  neighbour 
wrong  you  of  a  few  Ihillings,  you  think  him  utterly 
unlit  to  attend  that  ikered  ordinance  with  you  ;  but 
what  is  this,  to  the  wrong  you  are  doing  to  your  bre¬ 
thren,  whom  you  are  holding  in  flavery  !  Should  a  man 
at  Algiers  have  a  number  of  your  children  his  flaves, 
and  ihould,  by  fome  means  be  converted,  and  become 
a  profefi’or  of  Chridianity,  would  you  not  expebt  he 
would  foon  fet  your  children  at  liberty  ?  And  if  after 
you  had  particularly  dealt  with  him  about  it,  a»d  of¬ 
fered  abundant  light  and  matter  of  conviction,  of  the 
oppreffion  and  cruelty  of  which  he  was  guilty,  he 
ihould  be  deaf  to  all  you  could  fay,  ani  refolve  to  hold 
them  and  their  children  in  flavor/,  what  would  vou 
think  of  him,  when  you  lee  him  at  his  prayers,  and 
attending  at  the  Loro's  fupper  r  Would  you  think  he 
-was  more  acceptable  to  God,  than  if  he  neglected  thefc 
inditutions,  and  yet  had  been  fo  juft  and  merciful,  as 
to  fet  all  his  flaves  at  liberty  ?  Yea,  would  you  fcruple 
to  fay,  his  devotion  ard  attendance  on  the  holy  fupper 
.were  hypocrify  and  abamina'tion  r  If  Nathan  the 


[  68  ] 

prophet  vtas  here,  he  would  fay,  (t  Thcu  art  the 
tnan * 

The  Friends,  who  are  commonly  called  Quakers, 
have  been  for  a  number  of  years,  bearing  teflimony 
againft  this  opprefiion,  as  incontinent  with  Chritiianity ; 
*nd  ftriving  to  purge  themfelves  of  this  iniquity,  re¬ 
jecting  thofe  from  fellovvfhip  with  them,  who  will  not 
free  their  flaves.  They  indeed  do  not  attend  the  Lord’s 
fupper  ;  and  it  is  granted,  they  are  herein  neglecting  a» 
important  inftitution  of  Chrift:  But  ought  it  not  to 
alarm  you  to  think,  that  while  you  are  condemning 
them  for  this  negleCt,  your  attendance,  in  the  omitiion 
of  that  righteoulnefs  and  mercy  which  they  praCtife, 
is  inexpreflioly  more  difhonorable  and  offenlive  to 
Chrift,  than  tneir  negledt !  I  hefe  things  you  ought firft 
to  have  done,  to  let  the  oppretied  go  free,  and  break 
every  yoke  ;  and  then  not  leave  the  other  undone. 

May  you  all,  in  this  day  of  your  vifitation,  know 
and  practice  the  things  that  belong  to  your  peace,  and 
the  fafety  and  happinefs  of  the  united  American  colo¬ 
nies,  by  no  longer  opprefling  thefe  poor  jlr angers  wrong- 

*  It  is  granted  this  opprefiion  has  been  pra&ifed  in  ignorance 
by  many,  if  not  the  moft,  who  have  been  owners  of  (laves  :  And 
though  this  has  been  a  very  criminal  ignorance  $  yet  profefi'ors 
of  religion,  and  real  chriltians  may  have  lived  is  this  fin  through 
ignorance,  confident  with  lincerity,  and  To  as  to  be  acceptable  to 
God  through  Jefius  Chrift,  in  their  devotions,  & c.  But  though 
God  has  in  time  paiTed,  fuffered  us,  ignorantly,  to  walk  in  this 
wicked  way,  he  is  now  ufing  fpecial  means  to  open  our  eyes, 
and  commands  all,  everywhere,  to  repent  of  his  iniquity.  And 
they  who  perfift  in  this  fin,  in  oppofition  to  the  clear  light,  and 
alarming  admonitions  which  are  now  fet  before  us,  will  greatly 
aggravate  their  own  guiit,  if  they  do  not  hereby  give  juft  reafon 
to  fufpedb  the  fincerity  of  their  profelfion-  Some,  who  are  in  the 
feriptures,  declared  to  be  good  men,  lived  in  evil  practices,  con¬ 
fident  with  fincerity  in  their  attendance  on  divine  inftitutions  j 
Tn  which  practices  no  Chriftian  can  now  live,  confident  with  his 
Ckriftian  character  ;  becaule  wc  enjoy  much  greater  light  than 
they  had,  and  thefe  evil  ways  are  more  fully  expofed  and  con* 
demined. 


r  69  i ' 

Fally,  and  doing  violence  to  them  ;  but  by  executing 
judgment,  relieve  the  opprefled,  and  deliver  the  fpoiled 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  oppreffor  !  May  this  counfel 
be  acceptable  unto  you,  and  you  break  off  this  your  fm, 
and  all  your  fins,  by  rigbteoufnefs,  and  your  iniquities 
by  fhewing  mercy  to  thefe  poor  ;  that  it  may  be  a 
lengthening  of  the  tranquility  of  yourfelves,  your, la* 
milies,  and  of  this  now  diHreffed  land  1 


APPENDIX 

To  the  Second  Edition  of  the  Dialogue ,  con • 
cerning  the  Slavery  of  the  Africans. 

^  I  N  C  E  the  fi rfb  edition  of  the  foregoing  dialogue, 
O  peace  has  been  reitored  to  the  American  States  ;  in 
which  they  have  obtained  all  that  for  which  they  have 
contended,  and  more  ;  and  are  become  free  and  inde¬ 
pendent.  Thus  we  have  had  profperity ,  and  the  fmiies 
of  Heaven,  incur  attempts,  while  the  flavery  of  the 
Africans  has  not  been  wholly  abolifhed  by  as.  This 
may  be  confidered  by  fome,  as  an  evidence  that  this 
flavery,  and  even  the  Have- trade,  are  not  fo  great  and 
heaven -provoking  fins,  as  they  are  reprefented  to  be  in 
the  dialogue  ;  and  that  the  repeated  declarations  there, 
that  we  could  not  reafonably  expedl  profperity,  until 
this  iniquity  was  reformed,  were  groundlefs  and  rafli. 

The  following  observations,  it  is  hoped,  will  ferve 
to  give  a  juft  view  of  this  matter. 

I.  Since  the  pujjdicati&n  of  tire  dialogue,  many  things 
have  been  done,  and  Heps  taken,  towau  a  .reformation 
ct  this  evil.  In  the  dates  of  the  Maffachufetts  and 
New-Hampfhi'rc,  the  flavery  of  the  blacks  i>  wholly 
abolifhed.  And  it  is  one  or  the  fundamental  articles  in 
th-C'Conditution  of  the  propofed  Hate  of  Vermont,  that 
no  flavery  fhall  be  tolerated  there.  The  Hates  of  Rhode- 
Iiland,  Connecticut,  Pennfylvania,  and  the  lower  coun¬ 
ties  on  Delaware,  have  provided  for  the  gradual  abolition 

F  -  2  ~ 


[  7®  J 


»£  fiavery  ;  and  ordered  that  all  the  blacks  who  flfa'Ft 
be  hereafter  born  in  thole  Rates,  fhall  be  free  at  a  cer¬ 
tain  age  •  And  that  no  more  fl'aves  fhall  be  introduced 
among  them.  And  the  Rate  of  Virginia  has  repealed 
a  law,  which  was  formerly  in  force  there  againR  the 
freeing  of  blacks  ;  and  now  allows  the  matters  of  Raves 
to  fre±  them  when  they  pleafe.  Thus  all  the  Rates  but 
nve,  have  manifelled  a  difpofition  to  promote  the  free¬ 
dom  of  the  Africans.  And  numbers  of  Raves  have  been, 
liberated  by  their  maRers,  under  a  conviction  of  tire 
Bnrighteoufnefs  of  holding  them  in  Ravery. 

This  is  a  great  advance  in  the  deft  red  reformation* 
and  has  given  ground  to  hope,  that  flavery  will  be 
wholly  aboliftied  in  all  the  United  States  of  America. 
And  may  it  not  be  confidercd  as  one  reafon  why  the 
oranifeient,  long-fuffering  Governor  of  the  world  ha* 
/pared  and  profpered  us,  as  he  hath  done  ? 

II.  Though  we  have  been  thus  laved  and  profpered, 
♦vii  may ,  and  we  have  rcafen  to  fear  it  will  come  upon 
us,  if  we  do  net  proceed  to  a  thorough  reformation  of 
tills  fin  ;  efpccially  upon  thefe  Rates  in  which,  there  ia 
no  degree  of  reformation.  What  has  taken  place  ftnee. 
the  peace,  chieRv  by  our  own  imprudence,  extravagance 
and  folly*,  by  which  our  trade  is  almoR  ruined,  and 
thele  Rates  are  in  a  great  meafure  drained  of  their  mo-, 
ncy,  and  many  evils  are  introduced,  is  enough  to  Ihewr 
us  how  eaftly,  and  how  foon*we  may  be  made  mile- 
table  and  be  ruined  as  a  nation,  after  all  that.  God  hath 
done  for  us  ;  and,  at  the  fame  time,  is  an  evidence 
that  he  is  difpleafed,  and  hath  a  controverfy  with  us.. 

And  we  may  eaftly  account  fcr  this,  notwithilanding 
tire  partial  reformation  relpeCling  Ravery,  which  has 
been  mentioned,  when  we  conftder  that  amidft  other 


epen  fir.3  and  initances  of  unrighteoufnefs,  we  are  again 
gpirvg  into  the  practice  of  that  ieven-fo!d  abomination* 
THE  SLAVE  TRADE  :  agaiml  which,  in  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  war,  vve  bore  public  teft.imony,  and  en- 
Hied  into  a  united  and  foleum  retolution  wholly  to  re- 

UIICC  ii,j  aiiu  (O i , ape'CL  Q  U  VV;lh  thpie  who  .LoU-ifit-, 


C  7-  I 


perftil  m  this  evil  pra&jce.  A  number  of  veflels  have 
been  Tent  from  Tome  of  the  Hates  in  New-England,  and 
from  ocher  Hates,  to  s. ifrica ,  to  procure  Haves,  and  they 
are  in  fuch  demand  in  the  Well-Indies,  and  fome  ot 
the  fouthern  Hates,  efpecially  South  Carolina,  that  fe¬ 
deral  fuccefsful  voyages  have  been  made,  and  thoufands 
of  Haves  brought  into  thefe  United  States,  and  fold  at 
an  extraordinary  price,  by  which  others  are  tempted 
and  encouraged  to  go  into  this  trade  ;  and  there  is  a. 
profpeft  that  it  will  take  place  to  as  great  a  dbgree  as  it- 
has  heretofore,  unlefs  it  fhould  be  fupprefled  by  thofe 
in  public  authority,  or  by  the  people  at  large. 

Are  not  the  Hory  and  denunciations  of  evil,  which 
we  have  in  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah ,  chap.  xxxv.  ap¬ 
plicable  to  this  cafe  ?  The  inhabitants  of  Jerujalem  were 
befieged  by  the  army  of  the  King  of  Babylon ,  and 
brought  into  great  dillrefs  and  fears  of  utter  ruin  :  Upon 
which,  "being  convinced  of  their  fin  in  the  practice  of 
flavery,  which  had  taken  place  among  them,  they  being 
led  to  it  by  their  King  and  princes,  entered  into  a  re¬ 
faction  and  folemn  covenant  to  free  all  their  Haves*. 
Soon  after  this  their  enemies  raifed  the  fiege,  and  they 
thought  themfclves  delivered  ;  but  when  their  fears 
and  diflrefs  were  thus  removed,  they  returned  to  their^ 
former  practice,  and  reduced  to  Havery  the  fervants  they 
had  fet  at  liberty.  God  then  directed  "Jeremiah  to  telL 
them,  that  fince  they  had  returned  to  their  former  ini¬ 
quity,  which  they  had  folemrdy  promifed  to  relinquifli,, 
and  refufed  liberty  to  their  brethren,  he  would  pro¬ 
claim  a  liberty  for  them  ;  even  a  mod  dreadful  liberty 
to  the  Ivvord,  to  the  peltilence,  and  to  the  famine,  and- 
caufe  them  to  be  removed  into  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth,  Sec.  If  this  barbarous  trade  fhould  go  on,  and 
Havery  be  Hill  encouraged  and  promoted  in  thefe  Hates, 
and  yet  we  efcape  the  deHrudlion  which  came  on  the 
inhabitants  ot  JeruJalem ,  or  evils  that  fh all  be  as  great* 
it  mult  be  aferibed  to  mere,  fovereign,  dillirguiHiing- 
Jaercy,  which  we  have  no  rcafon  to  expeft* 


r  72  ] 


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